Beginnings
by captainravenworld
Summary: They say the hardest path thing forget because it helps shapes who we are in the present. A lone elemental who'd lost it all plague, a dragon who refuses to accept and let go of the terms and a new found freedom by a prisoner weighed down by his own hatred of the world that placed the shackles on him. With a new enemy on the rise, we'll the past forgotten in order to rise against t
1. Prologue

**A big shoutout to Bea for organising this event and my two awesome betas ****zxrycyan and descriptionsalive:). And my partner for the story the very talented vialoffire, you should really check out her work on tumblr it's amazing.**

**This is my story for opbigbang, I hope you guys like it I'm having a lot of fun writing it. Oh one thing before I leave I kept as M for a reason there are some points parts in chapters that get pretty especially what I have in store for future chapters aside from the ones I have qritten-just thought I'd give you guys a heads up and please pay attention to the storyline when I wrote the intial even I was surprised. Anywho onto the prologue**

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_**Settling In**_

Ace once again found himself looking out the window, watching with disinterest as the hills on the countryside passed by in a blur. Resting his chin against the palm of his hand, he mumbled to himself, "A few more hours to go" Turning his head back around with a sigh, he looked to find that the only three other occupants of the bus consisted of an old lady who had fallen asleep in the chair opposite his, a weary mother who appeared to be rocking a small bundle in her arms in a rhythmic manner and the driver of the locomotive-an overweight, dark skinned man dressed in a white shirt and faded blue pants, his radio barely audible over the groaning of the engine. Turned up to full volume listen to these very songs while working around the house. On rare occasions, Ace could hear her singing as well, hitting each note perfectly like she had been doing for years. A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips as he stared at the passing scenery.

He didn't know when they had reached his desired destination, but a gentle shove from a foreign hand and he began to stir from the clutches of slumber. Grabbing his favourite green bag, he stepped out of the bus and into the open air. He stretched his muscles briefly to get rid of the accumulated stiffness in his joints, before catching the large suitcase and bag the bus driver threw As he set down bag on the street he was hit by a blast of hot air. _Wow, the difference is so big._ He thought to himself as he began to subconsciously make comparisons between his native home and this new town. Ace began to walk down the streets, dragging his large suitcase behind him while taking in his new surroundings.

It was late in the evening and a majority of the stores located at the bottom of the buildings, built close to one another and selling mostly clothes, shoes, stationery and furniture, had already closed for the day. Very few people were walking in the streets, despite him estimating it to be only close to six o'clock in the evening.

At some point, he had walked past a bakery from which the smell of freshly baked bread and other tantalizingly sweet smelling pastries made his stomach growl in hunger. Street lamps stood every fifty meters on both sides of the one-way street, illuminating the path ahead of him. Continuing his walk, Ace pulled out a sheet of folded paper from his coat pocket and studied it briefly before looking at a nearby display traced his finger over a red line and nodded briefly to himself, and then picked up his bags and continued onward.

Eventually, after a long walk through the town lengthened by many detours and backtracking, he finally reached the destination that he desired. It was a low-rise apartment building shaped in the form of a U, with the parking space located in the centre.

As Ace entered the apartment building, he was greeted by the manliest looking lady he had ever seen, her curly orange hair sticking out wildly as if she had never introduced it to a comb before. A pair of of small grey horns protruded from the tip of her forehead. There was a nasty snarl on her face which was largely dominated by some of the biggest pair of lips he had ever seen and medium sized brown eyes. Her baggy clothes smelled vaguely of cigarette smoke and alcohol.

After a brief exchange of awkward greetings and a quick scan of the paperwork, she turned around and snatched a key that was hanging on a rusty metal hook along with several others from behind the well worn wooden counter, and handed it to him before going back to her magazine.

The apartment itself was rather modest but spacious enough for him, with a semi-detached kitchen and living room separated by a wooden counter with two bar stools. Thankfully, there was a working cooker and fridge in the kitchen. In the sitting room, there was a worn. Walking down the narrow hallway, he found one door on his left and two on the right. Upon further inspection, the first led to the bathroom while the others led to a bedroom and an room, which he made a mental note to find another use for later. He then entered the bedroom, dumping everything on the floor and plopping himself onto the queen-sized bed before succumbing to his exhaustion and drifting into a blissful sleep.

The next day, he woke up bright and early despite his temptation to sleep for a while longer, showered and slipped into some casual clothing. Grabbing his wallet, two large envelopes and keys, he headed out the door. Pausing briefly to greet the old hag at the reception area, who in turn grunted something along the lines of a salutation to him, he left the apartment complex.

The weather was just right-not so hot that it was stifling or cold to the point of having to grab a light coat...although he thought it ironic, seeing as how changes in weather patterns didn't affect him in the slightest, unlike it did other species.

To his surprise, not long after he had stepped out of the building he reached his destination. None too soon either as, glancing at his watch, he found it was already five minutes to eight.

Ace gazed with slight trepidation at the behemoth structure. The building itself looked like a page out of history, from the spiralling gothic towers on either side of the large castle-like structure, to the stained glass windows. Nettings that lined the roof gave the building a sinister appearance, as if someone had hung giant spider webs on it. The gardens below were lined with trees, blooming with the most interesting and enchanting flowers that danced in the wind and filled the air with a faint yet sweet smell.

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice called out.

Snapping out of his stupor, he turned to look at the source of the voice to find a stunning, slender woman. She was rather petite in stature, standing a half-head shorter than Ace with, dark green hair held back by a laurel made of gold thread. Her hazel brown cat-like eyes that appeared to hold a lot of wisdom and warmth contrasted nicely against her pale porcelain skin. She had a nice hourglass body, on which she wore a simple white cotton dress that fitted her well and went past her knees; on her feet she had on a pair of leather brown gladiators. "You must be Ace. I'll be giving you your tour around Mythos Academy." She held out her delicate hand in greeting and continued, "My name is Makino."

Ace took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Makino."

"So shall we begin the tour?" she asked. Ace merely nodded and she turned around, making her way towards the colossal building while pointing out different areas,throwing in the intermittent piece of history here and there. Ace took in each word keenly while making a mental map of the area so as not to get lost in the future.

After half an hour spent touring the vast school compound, Makino, whom he had now learned was a wood nymph, brought him in front of a large wooden door, explaining to him that the vice-principal wanted to see him briefly before he could leave for the day. Ace seemed slightly shocked, so Makino gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and offered a few final words of encouragement before departing.

Ace eyed the doorknob, a flurry of thoughts running through his mind. Finally, he reached for it and opened the door. The layout of the office he found to be rather modest-several paintings hung from the grey walls, behind a modest desk sat a vision of beauty dressed in provocative clothing. Her glossy black hair done held up with two lotus hairpins, already the bun had long since began to unravel as strands framed her framed her youthful face. A large pair of bat wings neatly folded behind her chair. the tips almost touching the low ceiling, her fingers a blur of black as they danced across the keyboard, hardly looked up when she heard the door creak open

Only, when the person had finally enter did she look up from her silver laptop, her cyan blue eyes studying him quickly behind a pair of glasses before turning to look at the screen of her laptop once again.

Ace felt a slight bit of discomfort when the winged lady behind the small desk examined him from behind her laptop screen and for a brief moment he could have sworn he saw a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes before she broke eye contact to resume tapping away at her laptop.

"You must be Ace." she stated

It was not a question but Ace answered anyway, "Yes."

Not even bothering to look up from her laptop, she suggested, "Why don't you have a seat while you wait?"

Ace complied and made himself comfortable on the couch, opting to gaze out the window at the stunning view below of the cherry blossom trees that bloomed throughout the year. A comfortable silence settled in the office between the two occupants filled only with the sounds of the black haired woman tapping away at her silver laptop. The crackling of an intercom made her pause in the middle of her task as she had a brief conversation with the person, filled with the occasional enigmatic chuckle on her side, before she once again pressed the button to end the exchange.

Looking up from the intercom, she gazed directly at Ace with a small smile on her face. "The vice principal will see you now. Just go through that door," she said while pointing manicured hand to a door behind her.

Ace muttered a quiet thank you and entered through the door, heart pounding in anticipation at meeting the guy. After all, it had been a while since they last talked.

"Oh, Ace, it's been awhile hasn't it? How are you finding things around here" a familiar, friendly voice asked. The lax tone in which the man spoke eased his pent-up nerves, making his lips twitch up into a smile. There were very few people Ace trusted, much less liked, in his life, and considering the circumstances he'd been in so far, who could blame him? This man was one of very few exceptions, to put it simply, he could count the number of people he truly trusted with only three fingers.

"Everything's alright, though I still haven't seen much of the town yet so I can't really say..." he trailed off with a casual shrug.

The man burst into laughter, revealing rows of deadly sharp teeth behind his red maw. "That's true; we'll talk more later on once you've settled in." He began to scratch the bottom of his chin with a clawed finger. The sound of nail scraping against his red draconic scales filled the office.

Raising his hand to his mouth, Ace cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the eastern dragon. "Is there something you wanted to see me about?"

The eastern dragon hummed in thought. "Not really," he grinned, once more revealing his sharp teeth, twisting the expression into something menacing despite its friendly intention. "I'm just excited to see you made it here. Well, don't let me hold you back any longer; I'll see you on your first day."

The morning had gone surprisingly well for Ace and,still in a good mood, he decided to spend the rest of the day exploring the town. Mentally grateful that Makino had given him a small map marking good places to go shopping for food and clothes, as well as a few cafes. So far everything had gone well and he had managed to purchase some basic items for settling into his new home-mostly consisting of food.

The cafe he had decided to go to based on the recommendations Makino had given him was fairly crowded with people and mythical creatures alike, despite it being late in the afternoon. Glancing through the menu a waitress dressed in a black and white uniform had handed to him, he was surprised to discover that they served dishes that reminded him of home as well as dishes from other ethnicities, all within an affordable price range. He could see now why Makino had put this on the list.

Upon ordering, his food came within a couple of minutes and he devoured the meal. The food was excellent and he could scarcely find anything different from the real thing back home. After paying the bill, he took a leisurely stroll back to his apartment the sky tinged in deep shades of purple, orange and pink, while the cold winds nipped at his arms. When he arrived, Ace dumped unceremoniously on the kitchen, a smile of self-accomplishment on his face as his gaze travelled around the sparsely furnished apartment. Deciding to call it an early night, he went down the narrow hallway and opened the second door on his right, throwing his full weight onto the mattress causing the springs to groan.

* * *

Everything was going absolutely great, no, seriously; everything had been brilliant for ?Ace so far. For those of you who are sarcasm impaired, the first sentence is a blatant lie. Not only had he woken up late, he had also forgotten his bag back in the apartment in his rush to get to school before the bell rung and the school gates closed

"_Really, just really, you have got to be shitting me." _Swiftly turning on his heels, Ace began to sprint back to the apartment, a string of vivid curses leaving his mouth as he ran down the street, not in the slightest bit bothered by the looks of surprise he was given by the humans and mythical creatures he zoomed past by.

"Dadan! Key! Need! Now!" he yelled in between sharp intakes of breath, an upturned palm slammed on the counter.

Grunting in disapproval at having her reading disrupted once again, she mumbled some curses before reaching underneath the counter and dropping the keys into his palm.

By some miracle Ace managed to get his bag and make it onto school grounds before the bell rang, though many students eyed him strangely seeing as how he was the only one hunched over in the courtyard,panting as if he'd just been running like death was on his heels. Upon regaining his breath, Ace entered the school and to his surprise found many mythical creatures from different parts attending as well, ranging from some he'd studied about in his old school to some he didn't even recognise.

"You've got to hide me!" a voice behind him begged in panic. Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned around to come face to face with a weretiger. Correction: a panicking male weretiger, who kept swivelling his head in different directions as if he were waiting for something to attack him from behind.

The sudden sound of crashing followed by raucous cursing echoed throughout the halls,steadily coming closer and closer, making the weretiger wince in fright. Turning quickly, the weretiger began to sprint with surprising speed in the opposite direction, muttering something about not wanting to die young and how pineapple headed phoenixes couldn't take a joke.

Ace blinked in confusion as he stared at the retreating weretiger, before snapping out of his daze. Just when he thought things had returned to normal and thus continued on to his intended destination, a wall of dazzling blue fire appeared in his path it quickly dissipated, and in its place stood a man dressed in a purple open shirt that exposed his chest. The blonde spiky hair on the top of his head indeed gave him the appearance of a certain spiked fruit-it was not hard to draw a comparison between the two. Half-lidded blue eyes that radiated fury gazed down at him intently. "Have you seen a weretiger pass around here, yoi?" He asked.

Ace shook his head, remembering the look of panic on the weretiger's face (this was not out of sympathy, mind you-he was already plotting something).

The pineapple headed man eyed Ace suspiciously for a while longer before sighing, releasing his murderous rage and making a mental note to pay back the weretiger at a later date, before turning his attention once again to the man. Come to think of it, he had never seen him around campus before. "You new around here, yoi?" He asked.

Ace paused before shrugging in agreement. "Pretty much: just got here two days name is Ace, you?"

"Marco, yoi."

"So who was that weretiger you were looking for?"

A glint of anger flashed through his half-lidded eyes. "Thatch. A very soon to be dead weretiger."

"Must've done pretty something bad if he got you pissed off to this extent," Ace observed.

"Not really," Marco said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly "He has been pulling this shit since I can remember so I'm pretty much used to it but today was another issue, yoi."

Ace chuckles and offers lightly "Well, I'll let you know if I see him."

"Thanks, yoi." Marco began to walk off, lazily waving his hand as he disappeared into the throng of other students and teachers in the hallway.

"Thanks dude, I owe you one."

Whipping his head around Ace came to face to face with the weretiger he could've sworn he saw run off. "How did you-you were just running in that direction! How did you get over here?" Suddenly everything clicked. "Wait a minute, are you Thatch? What did you do to piss off Marco that much?"

The weretiger just laughed heartily in response and clapped a paw on Ace's shoulder Gaining his breath once again, he began to describe his plan of absolute brilliance and recount the implementation of said plan that led to the events that transpired earlier, that then led to Marco's rage.

It's safe to say that Ace was soon joining in on the weretiger's mirth, before he even finished his story. Unbeknownst to them, the beginnings of a beautiful partnership in the perilous art of pranking was formed, one that would later on gain them infamy throughout Mythos Academy as the devilish duo.

...

Ace sighed once again and looked once more at the exercise book on his desk with unconcealed ire. To be honest with himself, the lesson had been a complete bore so the flamboyant clothing he wore, the teacher droned on and on in the same monotonous speech pattern that made him want to tear out his freaking hair and slam his head repeatedly against the desk. Glancing up at the clock above the blackboard, he found there to be another twenty five minutes before he would be let out.

"Fantastic," he muttered in resignation.

"Mr. Portgas, care to solve this problem?" the source of monotony asked.

Ace lazily raised his head from the desk and looked at the teacher"Huh?" Ace replied unintelligibly, causing the other students to snicker.

"Come and answer the problem on the board, since you've decided that staring out the window or sleeping on your desk is far more important than paying attention like everybody else," the teacher growled while stretching out a feathered hand in which a piece of chalk was clutched between talons. A pair of golden eyes pinned him to his seat in a piercing glare that sent shivers down his spine.

Having no choice, Ace slowly stood up from his and dragged his feet lazily across the tiled floor to the front of the class and took the chalk from the smirking professor's taloned and feathered hand. Turning to look at the board, a frown of concentration settled onto his face as he studied the question. Muttering a brief curse of annoyance, he began to scribble on the solution. After several minutes filled only the sound of squeaking and scratching of chalk on the board,he turned away, placed the chalk on the teacher's desk and returned to his seat

The man briefly studied Ace's answer before turning to face his student "That is correct, mister Portgas," he said, a hint of disdain in his voice. To his surprise the student had already fallen asleep, using his folded arms as a pillow to support his head on the desk.

It seemed like a bloody eternity before the bell rang, signalling the start of lunch, and Ace was the first one out the door. While heading to the dining hall he was rejoined by Marco and Thatch, with whom he began to chat casually about random topics. Surprisingly the three got along as if they'd known each other for quite some time despite this being Ace's first time meeting the two together.

Upon grabbing food from the buffet-like setup, Thatch dragged a reluctant Ace to a specific table where he introduced Ace to everyone seated there, some of whom he recognised from his morning classes. Once introductions were finished everybody resumed their conversations, inviting the 'newbie' to join in.

"Speaking of which, did anyone hear about the party next week?" Haruta, a petite elf who said while waving a plastic spoon in midair.

"Oh, that thing that always happens at the beginning of each semester? Yeah, I wonder who'll be hosting it this year..."

Not sure of what to say, Ace opted to listen in as everybody began to recount the tales of last year's debacle, some of which he found highly amusing and couldn't but laugh little.

"Will you be coming this year?"

The man being questioned merely blinked as all eyes on the table turned to him. Raising his hands he shook his head firmly. "No thanks, besides gate crashing isn't really my style."

"Nonsense," Thatch hollered while clapping his furry arm around Ace and giving him a toothy grin, "you're coming whether you want to or not!"

Izou huffed in annoyance. "There is no point in trying to force him to come when you can see he is clearly not even interested in doing so."

Releasing his hold on Ace, Thatch folded his arms and began to mutter incoherent sentences under his breath, twitching his tail at random intervals, and Ace could only guess that he was pouting. Ace had to bite the bottom of his lip to prevent himself from snickering at the exchange. Soon the lax atmosphere settled over the table once again as they began to talk about another random topic, with Haruta throwing in his occasional opinion here and there.

When the bell signalling the end of lunch rang and everybody began to gather their things and make their way back to classes, Ace felt someone grab his hand in a surprisingly strong grip. Turning around he found himself face-to-face Haruta, who handed him a black envelope. "Just in case you decide to change your mind," she said, and left without waiting for a reply.

Ace eyed the envelope briefly before stuffing it into his pocket.

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**Any comments?**


	2. Endet Isle

**CRW: Flashbacks are in italics**

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Endet Isle, a place like no other, took a whole new meaning to the word elegant. While other towns and cities had aristocrats who spared no expense when it came to building extravagant and lavish housing that looked more like works of art than places actually live in, this town had its own unique sense of regality.

Endet Isle had combined styles from different parts of the mythical realm, from the tall, spiralling colourful towers littered in diamonds from the Naga Kingdom and the feudal style buildings of both eastern dragons, to the distinctive, well detailed statues carved by the masters of stones, golems. Trees that were once rumoured to be found only in elfin or nymph territories, pregnant with ripe succulent fruits, covered the town squares, while large snake-like vines clambered over several buildings. The small purple, blue and pink flowers that sprouted from the vines filled the air with an intoxicating aroma.

Bridges suspended in midair from building to building crisscrossed in a haphazard manner, the mythical creatures using them not even the slightest bit concerned by the height at which they stood from. Large canals snaked through the town, the water shimmering like an iridescent jewel underneath the rays of the sun. Looming over the town, hidden by a thick blanket of fog were the serrated peaks of the Syrion mountain range, lined up like rows of thorns.

Endet Isle, with a charm like no other, was truly a beautiful place. Some would find it hard to believe that not a few decades ago an event had transpired here that had forever change history.

In any case, that wasn't the focus for now.

Sitting at the foot of the Syrion everglade was the entrance to the Union building, a colossal structure so big that you could see its gold plated roof the moment you enter the town. The closer Shanks drew to Union the more he found himself being enraptured by the stunning splendor of the structure. He even spotted a few faeries, satyrs and wood nymphs in its perfectly manicured gardens, the male wood nymphs and faeries wore simple white togas with a thin leather strap around the waist, they walked around barefoot on the cobblestone pathways.

The few female in the gardens wood nymphs and faeries wore long flowing skirts with beautiful flowers reminiscent of the flowers growing in the gardens made it look like the garden had sprouted feet and began to walk and white tunics with long papery thin sleeves, as they moved from one end of the garden to another holding various pieces of garden equipment, laughing amongst themselves while the serene sounds of a reed pipe played in the background.

As he drew closer to the main entrance reserved specifically for members of the council, he had to stop the corners of his lips from tugging upwards, a bitter-sweet sense of nostalgia overcoming him.

In the centre of the labyrinth garden stood a statue of the founder himself, dressed in well worn commoner's travelling garb. The clothes fitted rather tightly against his muscular frame and his right hand was outstretched and bent at a ninety degree angle, as if he were waving at something in the distance. In his left talon hand, he clutched a spherical orb made from a rare gem stone that gave it the appearance of a living ball of flame when hit by sunlight. The wicked grin plastered across his face revealed sharpened teeth, although a large moustache right under his nose gave him a slightly comical appearance. Lying at his feet was his small rucksack and favorite hat that he was famed for carrying with him no matter where he went through. Carved in an ancient dialect long since forgotten was the message _there is no honor in dying for your country, _a powerful reminder of the past.

To be perfectly honest, Shanks disliked these meetings as they were tedious and could drag on for days on end; the longest he could recall had lasted several months concerning the trade routes between the Nagas and Daevas, two clans whose animosity towards each other was well known.

Matters had only been made worse by the current ruler named Boa- her fiery, unshakable and stubborn nature made it impossible to make any reasonable negotiations that would satisfy both representatives, extending the meeting for far longer than anyone's liking. Eventually, every council member agreed to the naga's terms which, though somewhat ludicrous, had helped bring back a sense of stability between the two clans. The Naga Kingdom had several key trade routes that they simply could not afford to lose.

"Azuma no Ryuu-sama," a soft feminine voice greeted from behind.

Snapping out of his musings, Shanks turned to face a nymph. The whole upper half of her body was bent perpendicular to the floor, snowy blonde hair hiding her face. "It is an honour to be graced by your presence. My name is Conis and I was instructed to take you to your quarters to rest before the meeting starts."

He resisted the urge to tell her to call him Shanks since he had never been particularly fond of all this formal spiel that mythical creatures had to take when addressing a member of the Union council. However, to avoid any further delay he simply let it slide and followed the fairly young female nymph as she lead him through the empty hallways above the gardens, the walls from which hung vivid murals depicting key parts of the history of mythical creatures, some from long before he was even born, he noticed.

"We are here," Conis said, coming to a complete stop in front of a large wooden door, with intricate carvings depicting several parts of the draconian history. "The meeting will be starting in half an hour. Is there anything else you require before I take my leave, Azuma no Ryūō-sama?"

Shanks scratched his chin in contemplation; the journey itself hadn't been long but the inside of his mouth felt dry from the low-flying he had to do over a patch of desert. The winds were surprisingly stronger than he remembered hurtling against him with malignant glee, several times he almost lost his course but he knew this path well so it only took moments to right himself in the dense cloud of sand some which had managed to lodge under his scale and rub against the soft skin underneath that made any movement uncomfortable because it felt no different than being pricked with a hundred needles simultaneously. Still he continued onwards, discomfort aside he couldn't afford to be late.

"Very well." She bowed deeply before making her departure.

Still nothing a bottle of rum couldn't, which is what he requested for the nymph-Conis, was it to bring.

Shanks grasped the gilded doorknob and allowed his hand to transform into a claw, red scales rippling across his skin as red energy flowed just underneath them; closing his eyes he muttered a brief incantation before withdrawing his claw from the doorknob.

At first nothing occurred, the doors remaining stationary, but they slowly began to swing silently inward. Each member of the council had their own designated room in the Union building in case meetings dragged on, and each one was tailored to the mythical creature's needs.

The room itself was rather lavish and spacious enough to fit a full-grown giant and even then there'd still a lot of room to move, painted in shades of burgundy, black and orange. A large king-sized bed covered in red silk sheets with intricate gold threading of flowers on them stood in the center of the room. High floor-to-ceiling French windows with velvet curtains pulled back opened into a small balcony which a gave a beautiful view of one of the many private gardens below while a large crystal chandelier made from small crystals carved into teardrops was hung twenty feet above his head onto the ceiling. As much as he wasn't too fond of the luxury each member of the council was granted, he couldn't help but admit they knew how to make any mythos feel larger than life.

A small door in the left corner opened into a smaller private room, where often mythos chose to eat in peace. He was never too fond of this arrangement, though, so after a heated debate with the staff who worked in the Union building, Shanks finally got his way and a small round wooden table with four chairs was kept in the same place where his bed was. Turning to the right Shanks made his way towards a large wooden armoire and flung the doors open. An exasperated sigh leaving his lips as he stared at the contents of the armoire, for within the closet was laid the traditional garbs of the eastern dragon clan.

The outfit itself was an odd mesh of leather, and metal, with a pair of polished buckskin leather boots that rubbed uncomfortably against the soles of his feet when worn and silver gauntlets. Don't get him wrong; the traditional costume itself was amazing to look at each time he saw it. Wearing it on the other hand...not so much. His shoulders deflated in resignation at the thought of having to wear it for the meeting with the council. Closing the door to the armoire, Shanks dragged himself to the bed and made himself comfortable, his heavy eyelids sliding closed in bliss as he sunk into the soft mattress.

A knock on the door ten minutes later cut short his short bit of shut-eye, and with a flick of his wrist the door swung open. "You can put the drink on the table in the center of the room" he instructed with a lazy wave of his raised hand "then be on your way" he added

"Do I look like a waiter to you Shanks?" A familiar voice asked in a flat tone, a twinge of offense lurking at the edges of his sentence.

Shanks craned his neck to see the entryway, a lopsided grin plastered on his face as he glanced at the who had just entered the room, shutting the door behind him.

A tall and muscular werewolf with silky black fur stood near the doorway, dressed in a snowy white open hakama that exposed his mane and had sleeves a navy blue colour with an elaborate black pattern sewn on. A sash matching the colour of his sleeves was loosely tied around his torso. He wore no shoes, though this was considered the norm for most werewolves as they saw them as a complete hindrance. His black bushy tail sweeping the floor behind him.

A pair of calm golden irises stared outside the window above the bed before the werewolf sighed and made his way towards the table. Taking a seat, he pulled out a matchbox and cigarette from within his hakama, lighting it and planting it in his mouth.

He took a long drag and exhaled, the white smoke curling in the air above him before dissipating. "Been awhile hasn't it, Shanks? Or should I call you Azuma no-Ryūō like everybody else?" he said with what Shanks could have sworn was condescending amusement.

Tilting his head, Shanks chuckled, having missed the cold humour his serious friend had. "It's sure been quite time since we last met, Benny, how is the old wolf pack doing? You know, maybe I should-" he began.

"Not this time, Shanks," Benn cut off. "I was specifically told by the elders not to let any red dragons by the name of Shanks to enter Nero **ever **again." Taking another puff from his cigarette while reaching into his hakama, he pulled out rolled up parchment. "So have you heard the latest news concerning Dangaron County?" he asked, his eyes gaining a hardened look.

Dangaron County of course he knew about that place, a large town a whole day's nonstop flight at top speed due north east of Endet Isle, was located near a mountain range and had a fairly pleasant atmosphere, and was home to a majority of the working class trolls and golems whose main source of income came from mining precious minerals in the mountains.

Most of them were a diligent lot and pretty friendly to visitors, who knew how to hold their alcohol. However, not less than a year ago, a lot of unrest had been stirring up amongst the trolls as their then chancellor-or was it king? A benevolent and honourable troll -who doubled as their representative in the Union council had died under suspicious circumstances; despite the intense investigations carried out nothing could be uncovered.

Soon after his burial a series of meetings had been held amongst the most prestigious trolls to decide the successor, and after many heated debates between opposing members involved, it had been narrowed down to a one candidate, one by the name of Teach, a large rotund gentleman with curly, greasy black hair and a Cheshire cat grin full of missing teeth.

Much to the Union's dismay, it was a sacred rule that the council was forbidden from interfering with internal affairs of a county unless the situation was paramount and a civil war was on the brink of breaking out. The job of a council member in a sense was to act as the representative who doubled as a peacekeeper and voiced the concerns of their people. A truly tiresome and tedious job in Shanks' opinion.

Fortunately (depending on who was interpreting) Shanks had other work that required him to be in an isolated country that hardly got contact with the rest of the mythical world, so he only knew outdated news. "So they finally decided to choose someone?" Shanks thought out loud

"Take a look for yourself," Benn said while tossing the rolled up parchment towards the bed stubbing out the cigarette inside the lotus shaped crystal ashtray on the table afterwards and pulling out another cigarette.

Shanks shot up and caught the scroll; crossing his legs he eyed the scroll curiously and tugged at the red string. At first the paper remained blank, but words soon began to appear on the parchment, shifting around before they eventually settled to form readable sentences. At the centre of the paper the black ink continued to move erratically, spreading wider. It first appeared like a large amorphous blob of black paint, but a few seconds later the blob began to take on a humanoid like face, the features becoming more and more defined until the ink came to a stop, the face as clear as daylight.

Yes, that face.

Upon recognition Shanks eyes widened in slight surprise before turning an ominous shade of red, while his pupils narrowing to diamond shaped slits. His muscles tensed involuntarily while his mouth pulled into a taut line.

Benn knew that expression well having only seen it once in the time he had fought by the dragon's side but that expression was one he knew that he would never forget easily, forever imprinted in the back of his mind. He watched his friend glare at the paper with a mixture of disgust and unabashed hatred. Expecting him to attack the paper as if it were the real thing. Benn was surprised when all he did was set the parchment on fire, the same look of abhorrence on his face as red and orange flames engulfed the paper until it was nothing more than a pile of ash in his hand.

He couldn't help wondering what would happen if he could get his hands on the troll himself.

"You reckon it's him?" Benn said calmly not even flinching at the dangerous aura that still lingered around his irate friend.

"Of course it is, the council must be becoming more negligent than I'd assumed if they are allowing someone like him into the council. That rat bastard is probably plotting something!"

Benn snuffed out his second cigarette and closed his eyes in deep contemplation before exhaling. "You know how some of the members are; who knows, maybe the guy has changed since you two last met."

Shanks laughed bitterly. "Can a cat sith change its spots, Benn? Either way this doesn't bode well with me."

Before Benn could reply a knock at the door interrupted him. With a flick of Shank's hand the door swung open and in walked Conis, carrying a silver tray on which a goblet filled with a golden liquid sat. Still holding the tray she bowed deeply in Benn's direction. "Kōkina ōkami, it is an honour to be graced with your presence."

Benn merely waved his hand in acknowledgement, offering the woman a small smile that exposed some of his white canines. When she straightened and saw the smile being directed her way, her cheeks turned red before she awkwardly made her way towards the table remembering what else she came to do. "I was told to inform you that the meeting will be starting in the next ten minutes and the council requests you both to be in attendance. It is not a requirement to wear any formal regalia for this meeting."

With those words and a final bow she exited the room, leaving the two alone once again.

Shanks shrugged while getting off the bed, making a brief at the table to drink the rum he had requested and heading towards the door "Guess we better going."

Benn eyed the dragon awhile further before standing up, lighting another cigarette, and trailing behind the eastern dragon. The door shutting as soon Benn stepped out of the room

...

The stark white meeting hall, well lit by gravity defying glowing orbs that floated in the air close to the high ceiling, was already full of council members who were available to attend the meeting, and in all the decades it had been used by Union members, it hadn't changed in the slightest despite the passage of time. Placed in the centre of the table, made out of solid gold was the famous emblem of the Union council that united all mythical creatures.

Personally, he found the giant gold symbol in the centre to be of poor taste; if the founder himself was still alive he would probably laugh at the symbol and call it a ridiculous worthless eyesore. He turned to face the table and observed the other council members, gaining a contemplative look as he did so.

Out of the four members who were present, he recognised only two, one of them being a brown eyed lady with short straight black hair with two tufts that curled head was resting on her intertwined gloved hands, leaning forward on the table with a bored expression on her face.

Briefly the two made eye contact, prompting a teasing smile from her before she turned to face the right where the entrance stood. This was none other than Shakky, one of two representatives for the underworld. The woman was one of the strongest Daevas and had a frighteningly accurate intuition.

Next to Shakky sat none other than the Queen of Fishman Island herself, though not as strong as some members of the council she wasn't to be trifled with as well. A determined and fiery passion drew many loyal fishman and mermaid alike under her wing, who would be willing to follow her through hell and back.

The others were fairly new to him.

The Naga queen Boa Hancock for starters-even before being introduced to the rest of the council, she had earned herself a reputation as a stubborn, conceited woman whose beauty was as endless as the deserts that stretched across this world.

Frankly, when Rayleigh first had the _pleasure_ of meeting this woman, he had not held her in the highest regard at all, and his annoyance had only heightened further at how his convoy chose to behave in her presence.

Not to mention, the recent change in power to her had made negotiations with the naga kingdom all the more difficult and troublesome. Out of his own curiosity, he'd gone to ask the former queen what had made her decide to hand over her throne. What he got in reply was rather intriguing, to say the very least.

* * *

_Rayleigh was never too particularly fond of any form of locomotive that wasn't flying by his own strength. For good reasons, mind you, one he didn't tell many being that he enjoyed the feeling of the strong winds brushing past his body while the hot sun warmed the silver scales on his back, and the freedom of being able to do any aerial manoeuvres with a mere flick of his tail and twist of his body. _

_Secondly, he found it impractical; dragons, especially those from the south, prided themselves in their superiority above all other mythical creatures when it came to flight and aerial combat (not that he would ever admit it out loud). Yes, not many could beat a dragon when it came to aerial combat. Correction: not many were brave enough to challenge him when he was in the air._

_Rayleigh looked down from his pegasus drawn carriage window to see the familiar colorful, spiraling towers of the Naga palace, a colorful oasis amidst one of the largest deserts in Etheria. A few minutes later the carriage landed in the courtyard and a servant opened the door, and he stepped out after his small convoy. _

"_Dragon King of the South it is an honor to be in your presence," a soft voice greeted._

_Rayleigh casually waved her off, continuing on his way past the castle's manicured gardens to the main building, his convoy not too far behind him. A few minutes later he reached the large wooden door that led into the throne room, and a simple hand gesture made it clear to his convoy that this was a private matter and he desired no company while he addressed it. A few noises of protests were made, but a piercing look combined with the slight release of his dense dragon aura and they made themselves scarce in a matter of seconds._

_Opening the door, he stepped in. The throne room looked all the more larger with the little furniture arranged in a seemingly half-hearted manner, the walls painted in different shades green and blue where beautiful tapestries were hung. Placed in the center of the room on a raised platform was one of the most interesting thrones' Rayleigh had ever seen. Fashioned out of ivory with gold scales that shimmered brilliantly from the rays of light that pierced through curtains behind the throne into a coiled snake. Two large rubies were set in the snake's head gazed into Rayleigh's own eyes. _

_On it sat a relic past. Her strawberry blonde wispy hair streaked with white strands was swept in soft curls around her face, which was sagging heavily with wrinkles, in an attempt to give her a more youthful appearance. A wooden cane was clutched between gnarled fingers. Copious amounts of garish pink lipstick was slathered on her wrinkled lips. A beautiful sari, which had in small precious gemstones sewn into the silk fabric that glittered each time a ray of sun caught them, hung loosely on her small stature. _

_Her eyes remained close for a moment as a dark blue forked tongue slid out of her mouth, tasting the air and retreating to the confines of her mouth before she tilted her head downwards to face him a welcoming smile on her face "I see you came Rayleigh, old friend, but before you air your discrepancies concerning my kingdom..." With a wave of her gnarly hand several naga servants slithered in through the door Rayleigh had just entered from. _

_One was a petite naga with blonde hair her scales were a muddy brown and black ones shaped like diamonds along the middle her inner scales a lighter shade of brown , carrying a tray filled with small delicacies, two teacups and a teapot full of hot chai and stood by the door. Seconds later a more muscular with vibrant green scales came in, carrying a round table with short legs capable of sitting four people at the most in one arm and holding four large pillows in the other. After setting the table along with the cushions, the naga who had been waiting patiently in the corner came forward and placed the tray on the table._

_The two servants walked to the foot of the table and bowed deeply before slithering out of the throne room._

_Rayleigh waited for the naga queen to approach the table and sit down on one of the many cushions laid down on the floor, taking a seat on the one opposite hers. He watched with growing impatience, as the Naga queen poured herself a cup of chai before reaching for a small black lacquer bowl on her right and tilted it over her cup, a transparent liquid pouring out replacing the container back on the tray._

_Bringing the teacup up to her lips, she briefly savored the strong scent of the chai as a ghost of smile appeared on her face, and then she took a brief sip and placed the cup down. Opening her eyes, she allowed her gaze to travel around the room before stopping at the man who sat opposite her. "So what brings you here, Rayleigh? Not that I am opposed to your company, of course; it is just unlike you to make such unexpected visits."_

_Rayleigh helped himself to one of the sweet meats on the tray, thinking briefly on how he wanted to phrase his question. "So are the rumors about you choosing to retire true?"_

_The woman broke into forced laughter? "Here I was hoping I could do this in a quiet manner without a fuss, and instead I have the storm bringer of the south fly all the way here just to confirm it!"_

"_So it is true," Rayleigh confirmed, "but what made you decide to retire so soon?"_

_The woman took another sip of her chai. "it wasn't so much retiring freely as it was forced retirement, old friend. Or have you forgotten the customs of us nagas?" she replied in a cryptic manner, a serious look crossing her face as she stared into her cup._

_He remembered them very well. "I see, so the challenger was able to beat you in combat, Nyon-Baa" he observed._

"_You say that as if it is a bad thing, Rayleigh. Look at me; I am not exactly a spring chicken anymore, am I?" She laughed bitterly at her own joke, gaining a more melancholic expression as she continued, tracing the rim of her cup with her index finger "I am long past my prime Rayleigh and it's high time that I made room for the new generation."_

_Rayleigh felt cold inside as he observed the woman; he couldn't help but wonder when the time would come for him to step down as the acting dragon king of the south. Unlike nagas, whose way of electing the predecessor was through combat, with the superior fighter becoming the new leader until somebody much stronger came to challenge, the dragon's way was more...complex, to say the least. _

"_Besides..." she continued, her voice softening and a genuine smile crossing her face, "though her edges may be rough and the brat has a lot to learn when it comes to being a leader and the representative of a whole nation, she-"_

_The violent slamming open of a door cut off the former ruler, much to both their annoyances. Rayleigh sighed in irritation and sent an apologetic smile towards Nyon-Baa. Much to his surprise the lady hadn't even registered his smile, which he found odd. Her gaze appeared to be transfixed on something behind him._

"_I thought I told you I wanted you out of the throne room by this afternoon, old hag," an unfamiliar voice fumed._

_Rayleigh's mouth pulled into a taut line as he turned to face the culprit of the interruption. Standing at the entryway was a stunning woman with long and glossy straight black hair, wearing a revealing red blouse with feathery sleeves a long slender leg peeked out from her loosely tied sarong._

_His eyes narrowed the slightest she looked so...then he saw it. If it were anyone so observant they would've missed. Vibrant green scales lining the side of her snake when she flipped her long hair. Her eyes the colour of the red dunes clouded with a storm of fury. She was accompanied by two naga, one on the right with wavy light green hair that complimented her emerald green eyes, and one on the left with orange hair styled into two horns._

_The woman in the middle was glaring murderously at Nyon-Baa, though she faltered when she tasted another presence in the air with her forked tongue, the scent belonging neither to her, her sisters nor the now retired queen who had the audacity to shoot her warning glance-she didn't have any power of her anymore. Her gaze shifted to the strange being whose unfamiliar scent it could only be, and folded her arms over her chest while narrowing her eyes dangerously. _

"_Who are you?" she asked almost accusingly, "What is it you want?" _

_Rayleigh ignored the woman's piercing look while he stood up and approached her, taking slow calculated steps in their direction as he studied the new ruler and the two nagas who towered over her. He easily ignored the sharp blades pointed at his throat when he stopped only two paces away from the supposed naga it was strange she didn't look so reptilian and yet she smelled like one- it'd take a lot more than threatening him with weapons to intimidate him._

"_Hancock, I suggest you have your sisters put down their weapons right now; this is not a place for combat," Nyon-Ba ordered in a calm tone. _

_Rayleigh did not fail to notice the underlying threat._

_At first, Hancock continued to silently glower at the older naga, who in turn only gazed unperturbedly back at her, then in quiet resignation she raised her hand in the signal for her sisters to lower their weapons. A frown was still marring Hancock's face as their weapons dropped to their sides she looked at the man who stood in front of her._

"_You still haven't answered my question as to who you are," she stated, not even bothering to hide her suspicion._

"_Why don't we all have a seat first? Then he can introduce himself to you," Nyon-Baa suggested, completely disregarding the glare Hancock was sending her._

_Hancock opened her mouth to voice exactly what she thought of that idea, but reconsidered it when Nyon-Baa shot her a warning look behind Rayleigh's back, turning to face her sisters with a softened tone to request they leave. Then she made her way to the table and sat facing Nyon-Ba, a deadly aura surrounding her._

_Rayleigh joined them as well, sitting at one of the ends facing both women, and immediately Hancock slammed a manicured hand on the table that caused the items on it to rattle under the force._

"_Enough of this Nyon-Baa! Who is this man and why has he been permitted entry?" she demanded._

_Nyon-Baa calmly took another sip of her tea, before bringing down her cup to gaze up at the clearly taller and younger naga. "I pity you at times Hancock, have I not told you time and again to keep up with current affairs? If you had done as I have told you to, you would have been aware that you are in the presence of the dragon king of the south, otherwise known as the storm bringer."_

_Rayleigh watched in amusement as Hancock's mouth and eyes widened minutely in shock. He had to give her credit for attempting to remain composed despite the revelation that had just been made._

_She turned to face him and in a formal tone greeted him, following up with a brief apology for her earlier inappropriate behavior._

_True to his lax nature, he merely waved it off and told her that all was well and forgiven, apparently much to her surprise as she stared at him with confusion mixed in with admiration and newfound respect. Clearly Rayleigh's reputation surpassed him, though he had never seen what he had achieved as great enough to earn him legendary status._

_To hell with it, he thought to himself. Dismissing all formality Rayleigh spoke, "So this is the one who will be replacing you as the new ruler, Hancock, I presume?"_

_Nyon-Baa nodded while Hancock straightened herself even further at the mention of her name._

_Rayleigh scratched his chin in deep contemplation. "Very well." With those words, Rayleigh stood up from his seat and walked towards the door. "I will not question your judgment in choosing her as the new leader." _

_With a final wave of his hand he exited the throne room, leaving the two women alone inside. He wanted to stay further, to assess the new queen, but matters far more paramount required him to be elsewhere at the moment, so he would have to postpone his assessment for a later date._

_As soon as he entered his courtyard his convoy fell into position around him, voicing their displeasure at the treatment they had received. He could sympathise with them - nagas were known to be less than accommodating to males no matter the species, although the reason behind that was greatly shrouded in mystery. Clearly fortune had been merciful to him as he had yet to bear the fury of the nagas. At first Rayleigh offered a few words to lift the foul moods of those who had accompanied him on the journey to the Naga Kingdom, but he excused himself soon after when he sensed they had all calmed down. _

_At a brisk pace, Rayleigh wound his way around the courtyard until he reached a discrete location, a botanical garden in the vast backyard of the palace. Closing his eyes he allowed the familiar calming power to course through his veins. He felt each shift and elongation of his limbs, every snap and pop of his bones as his body began to change shape and take on a much larger form. _

_Opening his eyes again, Rayleigh tested his silvery wings before taking off into the clear blue sky, his white scales speckled with pale blue and silver ones that glimmered underneath the blazing sun. For a brief moment he struggled against the strong headwinds, but soon he was cutting easily across the sky, heading towards the horizon. _

_With a flap of his large wings, he shot up past the white clouds to a point where the air was really thin, though that did little to disturb him. His thoughts had already ventured back to his earlier conversation._

* * *

Over time, he had learnt to just leave things be, and that involving yourself in political or economic matters (especially political matters of other mythical creatures) was neither worth the stress nor time of day.

On the right of the naga queen sat the new representative of the desert regions, a fairly young girl-in her late teens, possibly-, with long blue hair flowing in loose curls that framed her heart shaped face. A dark blue sleeveless top lined with gold trimming ended just above her torso, and the lower half of her body was that of a lion while two tanned browned wings folded neatly behind her back. Cat-like brown eyes glanced with a childish curiosity at the other occupants.

The few members who had managed to arrive had already taken their selected seats around the long table, all with the same stony expression.

A tension so fragile hung in the air as they awaited for the Eastern dragon king and werewolf to arrive, broken when a male nymph cracked open the door and all eyes immediately turned to the entryway. The nymph in response bent his body low, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Well, what are you waiting for, you insignificant cretin?" the naga queen hissed in impatience, her whole demeanor radiating displeasure.

The elf promptly shot back up, his green eyes widened in fear under the cold scrutinising glare of the naga queen. "A-apologies, your m-majesty. I was just sent to announce that kōkina ōkami Benn of the Nero county has arrived, along with Azuma no Ryuu Shanks," he stuttered.

_So the brat has finally decided to make his appearance. _Rayleigh thought to himself as he watched the eastern dragon and the werewolf with golden eyes enter the room. Right away he sensed that something was off with Shanks, despite the calm manner in which he held himself.

Once the two had taken their seats, Rayleigh stood up from the head of the table, six pairs of eyes in the room simultaneously zeroing in on him as waiting patiently for the meeting to start.

"As I am sure all of you are aware," he began with no preamble, "there has been a recent change in power in the troll kingdom, and new candidate has been elected as the representative for the trolls. I am also aware," he said deliberately, "that those of you who have met him are against his election in one way or another."

The naga queen flicked her hair in annoyance. As much as she respected Rayleigh as well as the other members of the Council, frankly, she couldn't bring herself to care less about the social stability of other kingdoms. The only thing she cared about was her own kingdom, no matter how much the old hag told her to pay attention to what happened around the world. However, this issue concerning the troll kingdom brought out deep, dark and dangerous emotions she had long since buried and hid under lock and key.

"Can we not just ignore their newly elected chancellor, why risk ruining stability of the council when we've been able to function without a representative for the past several months? I do not see the point in giving him get a seat," she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Trolls have always been far less civilized than every other kingdom and county in existence. And I am not very comfortable that he is from Daedra"

To an extent, the argument she raised was indeed valid, ignoring the rather blunt manner in which it was put forth. Trolls from the rougher parts of Daedra-a large slum area on the outskirts of Dangaron, a hovel for suspicious black market activity- had one of the nastiest reputations out of all the mythical creatures that had ever lived; a close third next to hobgoblins and gremlins.

That was for good reasons as well, for they had intimidating statures and their dark skin was always emanating suspicious foul smelling odour, while their brown eyes hardly held any warmth and they would always offer a deceptively kind smile as they plotted behind your back.

In addition to that, their violence and brutality on a warfront was truly a horror to be seen. In truth, trolls were one of the best allies to have in war, though their loyalty was known to be so fleeting you never could know when you were going to end up with a knife in your back. They feared nothing and no one, they looked out only for themselves, and if they saw no gain they would abandon without hesitation. As the saying went: 'you could always trust a troll to be dishonest'. The last representative had helped reduce some of the mistrust towards trolls.

The young sphinx, though nervous, countered, "Though you may have a point in the more than questionable candidate they elected into power, I don't think it is a very wise idea to overlook the good he has done despite the supposed crimes he has-" She paused abruptly upon seeing the withering look the naga was sending her way.

"Supposed?" she hissed, her look gaining a more murderous appearance.

Shakky cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the two council members. "I speak for all of us when I say none of us are exactly keen on welcoming him into the council, but," she rested her head in the palm of her hand "we can't directly interfere and deny him what is rightfully his, without breaking the most important rule."

Hancock sent her a suspicious look. "Since when have demons ever cared about following the rules?"

Shakky smiled enigmatically, her eyes lighting up with an air of mischief. "I don't recall ever saying I cared about the rules. I only follow orders from one person," she looked at Rayleigh from the corner of her right eye, "but at least us demons are honest about our dishonesty and questionable moral integrity. However, our loyalty is not of great importance at the moment. The sphinx raises a good point; those crimes do not have solid evidence so there isn't anything we can do." Turning her head, she gave the young sphinx an encouraging smile.

Hancock's eyebrow rose, her curiosity peeked. "What are you proposing then, demon?" she asked suspiciously. "That we bide our time until enough evidence is gathered?"

Shakky smirked. "Who said anything about we?"

Hancock snorted at her answer. "I assumed a creature like you would jump at the thought of causing discord amongst innocent creatures. Isn't it considered a greatly favoured pastime for your kind?"

Shakky chuckled in amusement. "I wouldn't go so far as to call yourself innocent, Hancock, or would you rather I call you by your original name?" she purred in a teasing manner.

Hancock crushed the edges of the table with her death grip, glaring at the demon with intensifying panic dancing in the edges of her eyes while her stomach folded into knots. That was impossible - nobody else apart from her sisters and that man knew her name! Hancock greatly feared what would happen if this got out. She felt tainted and unwhole because of it. "You wouldn't dare," she hissed, managing to meet the demon's patronizingly amused gaze.

"This is not time to be arguing amongst ourselves," Otohime declared, fed up with the little exchange between the naga and the demon. "I refuse to involve my kind in a fight all because of an erroneous judgment."

Hancock broke her gaze with Shakky and looked Otohime dead in the eye, secretly glad for her intervention while conveying what anger she could at the woman's choice in her usual passive aggressive way. Nevertheless, the queen of the Fishman Island did not back down and met Boa's glare with an even look; she stood by what she said and wasn't going to be dissuaded by anyone.

Otohime broke her gaze with Hancock and turned to face Rayleigh. "With all due respect, stormbringer of the south, I do not desire to start a war against the trolls due to displeasure in whom they had elected. As Vivi has pointed out, we can not simply overlook the good he has done. There is no point in fighting if the opponent can be reasoned with and that is what I intend to do," she said with determination.

The werewolf nodded in agreement. "She has a point and going against the rule wouldn't be the wisest," he added, sending the eastern dragon a quick glance from the corner of his golden eyes, surprised that he hadn't spoken a word the whole time merely regarding them with the same unreadable expression on his face.

Seeing the hardened resolve in the queen's eyes, Rayleigh knew she did not plan on accepting any other opinions, and besides, he could almost feel the indirect gazes on him, waiting patiently for his verdict. "Let's have a recess for an hour before we pick up from where we left off."

A break was the perfect form of relief, even if the relief was temporary. Much to his surprise, no protests were made and the room was clear of the few council members in a matter of seconds. Left on his own in the room, Rayleigh sighed in relief, allowing the full weight of the conflict he had just diverted, even if it was only momentarily, to sink in.

Finally exiting the room, Rayleigh took a turn to the right, and already he could see the familiar door in the distance. His senses heightened in apprehension when he sensed the ominous, almost vindictive, aura. This did not bode well with him.

After all… it was rare that his former student got this angry.

* * *

**Translations**

**kōkina ōkami-noble wolf**

**Azuma no Ryuu-dragon king of the east**


	3. Origins of the flame

Chapter 2: Origins of a flame

"I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match."  
-Mia Hamm

Ace sighed in frustration as he glanced at the ever growing pile of books, scrolls and torn sheets of paper on the round table, tucked in a more secluded part of the library in Mythos Academy-one out of four libraries found on the school.

The damp musty smell of old books combined with the heat did little to quell his growing ire of having to be confined in this area for a good majority of his afternoon.

"Groaning about it isn't going to get this project done, yoi" Marco commented, looking briefly up from the large leather-bound book with yellowed pages, his left hand holding a pen poised above another sheet of paper.

Ace opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it. The phoenix had a valid point.

_But what kind of sadistic asshole of teacher hands out a two week assignment in the first week of the semester,_ he wandered, aloud. To add insult to injury the pompous griffin declared that it counted for twenty five percent of your midterm grade.

"Pretentious asshole of a teacher" Ace grumbled quietly to himself, as he tossed a now crumpled piece of paper with little concern outside the open window behind him.

Marco looked up from his book again and chuckled in amusement "Neither is throwing papers outside the window helping, yoi" he teased. Earning a crumpled piece of paper thrown at his face, which he caught easily a smug grin on his face as he threw it back at Ace, nailing him square on the nose. Leaning forward on the table, Marco plucked a small book with a green cover and engravings on the cover of the book from the center of the table before settling back into his seat.

Opening the book, Marco began to skim through it, his ire growing as he drew nearer to end of the book finding not even a sliver of useful information. In a sense he could sympathize with Ace, after all having practically senile grey speckled griffon as your homeroom teacher was not exactly the most 'thrilling' way to kick off your year at a new school.

It was a well known rumor amongst the students that attended the old geezer's classes that he secretly enjoyed torturing his students with staggering amount of work or ridiculous punishments if they broke any rule (he had a sneaking suspicion he made some of the rules up so he could deal out punishments). Having had him for a teacher last year, Marco secretly thanked every deity that he wouldn't have him this year.

Alas, he still had classes with the old man; _well at least it was better than having him as his homeroom teacher,_ he mused. How the griffon got away with the things he did was a great mystery to the phoenix.

Marco's eyes drifted to the green book he had taken from the middle, a vein on the side of his neck popping out when his mind drifted back to the topic they were supposed to be researching. Flipping to the first page, he began to read the barely discernible loopy faded handwriting from the travel journal of a famous cat sith by the name of Absa. Little was known about this cat sith apart from what he published in his travel journals and his great albeit rather perverse love for beautiful mythos women, from the constant references he made in his journals some references more prominent than others.

_**The Wendigo was stick thin to the point a small breeze would be enough to topple the savage creature over , its dry leathery skinned lined with coarse muddy brown fur was pulled tightly over its body making his skeleton all the more prominent. A neck far too long and supported a large head of a reindeer with larger than life horns with sharpened edges scratched against the bark of trees. How the neck did not snap from the weight was a great mystery.**_

_**Long spindly arms with chipped yellow nails caked in a black substance dragged across the slimy ground of the swamps. Its complexion the ash gray of death, and its large red eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, two slits were where the nose the was supposed to be(I dreaded to think what fate might have befallen it) the Wendigo looked like a creature who had just stepped out of a grave. **_

_**What lips it had were tattered and bloody doing little to hide its sharpened teeth ...Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption. At random intervals it would let off a deep low growl that echoed across the swamp. Never in my life had I felt so repulsed**__**and fascinated to know more about this enigmatic creature associated with death and corruption.**_

_**My heart nearly skipping a beat, when the creature drew closer to where I had hidden those large soulless red eyes, shook me to the core. It felt like it was staring right into my soul, I shuddered in fear the only emotion I saw was hunger in those eyes. My heart was pounding rapidly against my chest as the creature grew nearer and nearer the scent of decaying flesh growing stronger, its sheer size blocking out the little light that penetrated through the canopies of the swamp. **_

_**Gone was the fascination to study this enigmatic creature from a near distance, replaced with the heavy and horrendous reality that I might be this creature's next meal. A low grumble escaped its torn lips as it raised its long lanky arm above its head in preparation. I could only watch in shock, knowing the barrier I had made would do little to deter this creature in wanting to eat me.**_

_**Being the romantic that I am. I found myself desiring for a much more poetic death. Possibly, in the arms of a beautiful succubus as she sucked the will out of me rather watching the sound of geysers hissing as they released deadly noxious fumes in the fiery pits, while the orange glow of lava as it flowed around withered crystal trees. Than at the hands of a creature who only sought function through filling it's insatiable hunger. **_

After the first page the rest of the writing was mostly faded or written in a dialect too old to understand, so he closed the book and shoved it aside and leaned back in his chair to gaze at the high ceiling, frustration beginning to settle into his calm expression.

Wendigos, it had to be a motherfucking out of all the mythical creatures they had to do Wendigos, one of the most mysterious and aggressive creatures in the mythical realm. He could almost picture the patronizing smile of Law as he handed in the assignment.

Half-lidded blue eyes drifted back to the leather-bound book he had been using notes for the past hour, for what purpose he could not remember at the moment. Leaning back forward, Marco lifted a sheet of paper from the right and studied it. Finding himself unable to focus on the words, he looked at Ace and inwardly rolled his eyes.

Locks of black hair hid Ace's face, while his chest rose rhythmically with his shallow breathing, his face lax as he dozed on top of the books and papers on the table, oblivious to the annoyed glance the phoenix was giving him.

Marco studied the paper once again and inwardly sighed. He knew he should he focusing on getting the project done and getting Ace to help as well but exhaustion was making it impossible for him to focus on anything at all. His own fatigue sapping the remnants of his strength he had left from the day.

_You need to focus. You need to focus. If you don't he'll probably having something worse than this project in store for you in that twisted mind of his? _The thought of a punishment far worse than this project giving him enough incentive to focus once again, only to return back to square A after fifteen minutes. Running a hand through his spiky hair while looking at the papers, his mind completely blank, clearly exhaustion had won this battle.

Marco shut the book and stretched his stiff muscles, sighing in mild relief when he heard his spine crack. How long had he been sitting on this chair? Before collecting all his possessions and dumping them into his bag on the floor. After doing this he looked at the still sleeping form of Ace, a small mischievous smile appearing on his face as circled around the table to where he was and pulled out a black marker from his pocket.

Careful not to wake him, Marco quickly scribbled on the sleeping form of his classmate, seconds later backing off when he began to shift and mumble incoherent phrases in his sleep. Marco may spend most of his time being serious, that didn't mean he didn't have a sense of humor. Stifling a chuckle of amusement as he took a moment to admire his 'artwork', he was going to be pissed when he saw it.

Grabbing a sheet of crumpled paper, Marco briefly scribbled a note on it and placed it on one of arms sprawled out on the table and left.

…

Ace woke up from his nap, long after the phoenix had departed and stretched in his chair. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around in confusion before he remembered where he was and sighed. _Right the project. _

His eyes swiveled around the area in an attempt to locate the phoenix, seeing no one Ace stood up determined to find him when he saw a piece of paper fell onto the edge of the table caught his attention. He picked it up, scribbled in a neat handwriting was a small message, crumpling the paper after reading it and tossing it out the window behind him. Bored, grabbed a book from the center and opened it to a random chapter, his thoughts elsewhere as he began to read the text.

…

_Ace, hissed in pain as he withdrew his hand away from the hot latch for the window. The palm of his hand red with large blisters ready to burst. One thought on his mind as he choked on the smoke in the sweltering room. Escape. He needed to get out of the room otherwise he'd die; already he had wasted precious seconds in the room._

_A sharp crack was all the warning he got to jump as far as he could from the flaming debris as part of the ceiling above the window near the window caved in, smoke and heat exploding into his room turning it into a furnace, he felt as if he were slowly being cooked alive. The distance proving to be not enough as a piece of timber tore right across the back of his shirt, leaving a shallow gash across his back._

_Ace cursed under his breath, his heart pounding erratically against his chest as the rush of blood in his ears deafened the crackle of the flames greedily devouring the sparse furniture in the small room. Still stunned from the close encounter with death, as he unsteadily got up to his feet. Coming close to collapsing when he began to feel light-headed, biting the bottom of his lip to suppress the nausea. He wasn't about to give up just yet, when he could stand._

_Frantically, his gaze swept across the room barely able to see anything until the glint of metal caught his eye before he could make out what he saw, the ceiling above his head splintered once more as large chunks of plaster began to fall forcing him to move before the ceiling caved in. Blocking the path to where he saw the metal._

_Breaking into another coughing fit when he inhaled even more of the smoke the pungent odor of his own flesh cooking in the flames clogging his nose. Using his elbows prop him on the floor to prop him on the hot floor, his breath coming out in weak in reedy rasps. _

_Despair began to blossom in his gut as he tried to force himself only for his limbs to refuse his silent pleas to get up and move forward. He'd settle even for a twitch! Yet he still remained motionless, the smoke finally turning an opaque black as he finally sunk to the floorboards, time growing still _as_ darkness began to close in on him like the heavy velvet curtains that signaled the end of a theatre performance. _

_A feeling of sickening rage at his own weakness being his only accompany as his grey eyes closed. There was a bang followed by footsteps near where he was too but he thought it was his imagination playing tricks on him in his final seconds._

_Soft hands lifted him careful off the floor; calm green eyes peeking through a hooded brown cloak briefly studied the small boy. He was unnaturally quiet, for a second he thought the kid to be dead until he coughed, it was barely audible above the crackle of the flames. Still it showed he was alive and he released a sigh that he hadn't known he'd been holding. His gaze dropped to the rest of his soot covered body the injuries were minor, treatable if he could get out of the room. Careful he hoisted the kid onto his back the kid barely protesting, turning to face the wall he rapidly his arms into unique forms. A burst of deadly blame flame shot out of his hand and destroyed the wall, without wasting a moment he ran out "Don't you dare die on me kid"_

_Re-entering the hallway, he raised an arm to cover his mouth and nose, moving swiftly through the flames and burning debris. With a swift punch of his fist through the wall, the smoke exploding out into the open air as if eager to escape their imprisonment. He looked down at the ground below; the jump was two storeys he estimated, something he could easily clear. But…his gaze briefly flickered to the barely conscious kid on his back. _

_He wasn't a doctor for certain; all he knew were the basics at the most, so he couldn't be sure what else might be wrong with the boy. Then again, there wasn't any other form of escape. Quickly, he jumped off the house focusing a bit of his power onto his the soles of shoes, where flames burst out slowing his descent, the grass around his shoes charred completely when he landed in a crouch. Reaching into the pocket of his coat and pulling out a small vial with a clear blue salve that glimmered under the afternoon sun. _

_With cautious movements he laid the kid (he had yet to know the name of) on the floor, the kid barely stirring when he crouched down and poured the salve onto his hand and applying gently it on the small cuts and burns on his body. Handling him as if he were glass as he lifted him back onto his back and walking at a brisk pace away from the burning house._

_He didn't know why he had rushed into the burning house the way he did and wasted precious time he could use to get out of Infirmin. He shuddered in horror as his thoughts ran back to the barely recognizable town-rivers of blood running through the blackened skeletal structures he could've sworn were once houses. Screams of despair and agony fill the air as attempted to escape Infirmin in their torn and burnt clothes, stepping over their own kin in an attempt to escape. _

_To where though? _

_They were everywhere, black armor with white capes sweeping across the paved streets as they marched in the city in uniform lines destroying everything in their sight: man, woman, child, baby they were all the same just another target in the way. The few who stood and fought put up a struggle, managing to kill soldiers with their fire attacks. Without breaking stride the strange soldiers dressed in a silvery grey armor would step out of line and fire a strange green substance at the soldiers with frightening accuracy, disappearing like ghosts back into the sea of black._

_He would watch in mute horror from a corner as there faces contorted from surprise, to horrific realization that they could no longer fire flames at the pursuing army and finally…the shock as they collapsed to the floor there mouths parted silenced anguish as if a question was stuck in their throats. Tears streaming down there faces as they shook violently like leaves. There arms held out in front of them as if waiting hopefully to see a flame appear in there hands. _

_The glint of a sword slashing through the air beheading the confused and scared fire elemental, a sickening crack as the head hit the pavement and tumbled clumsily forward before coming to a complete stop a few paces in front of their detached bodies. White hot rage coursed through his veins, as every single part of him to fight those monsters. But what good would it do? They had a substance that could easily rob your ability and not to mention a several platoons of soldiers that blocked out the horizon._

_He shoved this dark reality into the deep chasms of his mind, forcing his mind to focus on how he was going to escape and get the kid proper treatment, his mind slowly beginning to formulate a plan of escape as he jogged through the forest taking care to take the most indirect routes in case he was being followed. _

_This worked for awhile in his favor as he moved deeper into the forest, the pathway becoming much narrower, the large canopies blocking out most of the sun. Until he felt something in the back of his mind, it was barely registered and felt nothing more than a slight pressure passing as soon as it came. Running inside a cave when a large blast of dense purple energy shot past him seconds where he had stood and expanded in a large sphere before exploding, chunks of wood and dirt flying everywhere. _

_He bit down hard on the bottom of his lip till it split the familiar metallic salty taste of blood trickling into his mouth. As he used his back as a shield to protect the kid, the searing heat from the explosion burnt the back of his shirt completely off as flying splinters of wood stuck fast into his back. When the temperature dropped down, he cracked open an eye and swept his gaze around the area._

"_Son of a bitch" he swore softly unable to comprehend what he was seeing when he stepped out of the cave. Most of the forest had been reduced to burnt stumps, the scent of death hung in the air. His hands beginning to slightly tremble in anxiety, these things in armor were demons._

"_Oi see anybody? Maybe it's wrong" a gruff voice yelled in a strange tongue that he hadn't heard drawing near where he stood outside the cave._

_He retreated back into the cave as quietly as possible taking the boy with him further in until it was pitch black, catching only snippets of the outlandish language they talked in._

"_-Could've sworn my Wyvern picked up something, she's hardly-" the new voice was cut off by the ear-shattering shriek of an animal._

"_-that thing on a leash before it attacks one of us" a new voice yelled above another high-pitched screech of disapproval "-we need to return now there is nobody here" _

"_-imagining things I told you there was nothing here" this one he noted had a slightly more nasally voice, possibly younger? _

"_-wait" the one with the nasally voice ordered firmly_

"_-search area" _

"_-hours" _

"_Too long" another unfamiliar voice he could not discern spoke in a rapid manner _

"_Orders can't do anything" _

"_-meet here then we have to go back"_

_He remained patiently in his spot until he could no longer hear any footsteps as they further away from the cave, waiting afterwards for what he could only assume was an hour and stood up. Rubbing his numb legs to get circulation before hoisting the silent kid onto his back and walked towards the front of the cave. The first signs of dawn beginning to peek into the horizon, he placed the kid down gently on the dirt floor. He sank down onto the floor, the cold hard rock digging into his exposed back, not that he minded the exhaustion made him numb too care as half-lidded eyes stared blankly at the kid. He had barely spoken a word. Maybe the kid was a mute, the thought becoming a more likely answer as minutes passed by._

_The thought of a quick nap becoming more tempting, as he sat on the floor of cool cave. Exhaling noisily, his eyes gazing up at what he could only assume was the roof of the cave crossing his arms over his chest, the silence oddly peaceful?_

_Minutes' passing by with no sound, lost in an abysmal of his own thoughts, when he heard moaning followed by a faint rustle of dead leaves-it wasn't hard to miss considering it was pin drop silent. He lazily cracked an eye open and looked to the side. He allowed a small ball of fire to forming the palm of his hand, an eyebrow arched in amusement when a pair of cold gray eyes gazed into his own._

"_Who the hell are you and why am I here." He demanded in a cold tone much too old for a kid his age..._

_He raised placating arms, "Easy now I mean you no harm" he replied._

_Ace didn't like this at all the last thing he remembered was being trapped in a room full of fire and now he woke up in a cave next to stranger in a cape that set him on edge "Who the hell are you" he repeated in a more hostile tone to the clearly larger and taller man, he couldn't make out much since his face was hidden._

_Sensing the kid's unease he slowly reached for the hood of his cape, noticing how the kids grey eyes followed each and every moment cautiously as if waiting for him to attack. Taking his time to pull down his cloak before slowly dropping his hands into his lap "I mean you no harm" he repeated in a softer tone "if I intended to do you any harm do you think I would have gone through the trouble of taking you out of that burning house?" he paused, a frown appearing on his tanned face "come to think of it kid why were you in a burning house to begin with kid"_

_Immediately regretting his words when saw a pained expression flicker across the kid's face before he glared up at the man "I don't know" he growled out._

_Stubborn brat after all the shit I went through, he thought to himself a vein popping out on his temple. Helping the kid was going to be difficult if he chose to remain adamant._

"_Who the hell are you calling a brat?" he hissed defensively._

_The man shot the kid a confused look "How the hell are you able to hear my thoughts?" he asked suspiciously. _

_Ace rolled his eyes "Not like I wanted to hear them ya' know"_

_The man scratched the black stubble on his chin; this was something he hadn't certainly seen in a while, having only heard vague rumors about it from his teacher. He didn't seem to notice or didn't care when Ace gave him wary glances as a disturbing grin crept onto his face. "The name's Alex Fenwick" he said out of the blue while offering a hand in greeting._

_Ace eyed the outstretched hand suspiciously, the rest of his arm hidden underneath the sleeve of a dark brown jacket raising his eyes to study the older man's face. He had a youthful angular face, with an aquiline nose and intelligent green eyes behind a pair of rimmed glasses. He had short, curly brown hair which was singed at the edges. Brambles, dried leaves and clumps of mud covering his face and clothes made it look like he carried part of the forest with him._

_Instinctively, he began to make his way towards the mouth of the cave there was no way he was going to trust this guy that easily. There was only person he trusted and he was determined to find them. _

"_Wait" Alex ordered quietly, shooting from his spot on the floor and stepping silently behind Ace wrapping his arms around the boy and dragging him backwards, tightening his hold when the boy began to squirm and twist in his grip in an attempt to break free. The brat didn't understand how dangerous these armored things were and no chance in hell was he going to let him expose them both. Fighting was not a part of his agenda._

"_They're coming I can sense it" he muttered ominously to himself. Ace stopped his attempt at freeing himself from the man's strong grip and glanced up at him. Panic dancing in his green eyes as he looked towards the front of the cave all the while retreating stealthily into the shadows of the cave. True to his words seconds later, Ace heard the crunch of feet against the dried leaves, his eyes turning to face the mouth of the cave as they drew nearer._

_They were about fifteen soldiers wearing black armor with ridiculous capes billowing behind them. All holding their helmets in the crook of their arms, revealing their faces, some covered in feathers, scales, fur all with an eerily similar serious expression as they marched. Possibly from other regions of Etheria, Ace wandered. Each soldier wielding a lethal weapon as they marched in two straight lines. Standing at the front of both lines, dressed in polished silver armor, black tattoo-like markings decorated the helmets fading to a blue-grey when they reached the back of the helmet._

"_Laki, why in the hell were we ordered here?" the speaker a tall Amarok. He had a large head, scars marking his light brown fur and a wild black mane with beautiful wooden beads woven all the while wide-spaced golden eyes were narrowed down to slits. One of his ears appeared to be torn clean off while the other appeared to have a bite mark. His armor gleaming under the glare of the sun, the only difference was that his cape was red, tied to his side was a light blue scabbard of a broad sword. His furry arms were crossed over his chest plate, sharp claws far too long to be on an Amarok digging into the silver armor. His tail was long and thin, sweeping against the forest floor._

"_Silence you barbarian" a smooth melodic replied cuttingly. A beautiful woman stepped forward from the front of her line towards the Amarok, she too wearing similar silver armor to the Amarok. Alex would have thought she was a human if it weren't for the pointed ears and slanted cat-like green eyes. Her long black hair held up by yellow pins in a high ponytail. A quiver of arrows strapped to the back of her armor, while she firmly gripped a silver bow in her right hand "And do not address me by name as if we are comrades" she added icily proceeding to changing dialects and cursing._

"_I thought elves didn't swear" Wyper sneered and bared his sharp teeth in a mocking smile._

"_Do not address me as your equal Wyper." Laki warned stiffly _

_The Amarok's smirk grew larger, parting his black rubbery lips displaying more of his teeth as he looked into her eyes "We are not equals that is for certain but do not think for a second you are better than me" He retorted, leaning downward to look at the elf. His hand subtlety dropping to the hilt of his sword. _

_Breaking his gaze, when his nose caught a foreign odor in the air. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back he inhaled deeply. The scent was there but very faint; unhurriedly he walked in a small circle around the gathered army coming to a stop at the mouth of the cave. The smell was strongest here. _

_Cursing lightly under his breath, the woman had been right when she said there was something over here. The scent growing stronger and stronger as he entered the cave, the only source of light being the sunlight as visibility lowered the farther he went in. The cave was admittedly a good hiding spot with all the dark places. However, he smirked 'they couldn't remain hidden for long and he would eventually find them, Amaroks were excelled when it came to tracking skills and stealth. How else were they supposed to get their food?_

"_What are you-" she started suspiciously_

_The Amarok slowly turned his head around and gave the woman a cold glare, silencing her immediately. _

_Cold chills ran down Alex's back as the Amarok entered the cave, forcing his heart beat to slow down when he caught a glimpse of the primitive hunger in its golden eyes. Daring not even to breathe for fear of the creature catching a whiff of his scent. This was bad, there were ten or so weak soldiers with normal auras and two powerful ones emitting from the elven lady wielding a bow and Amarok who just entered the cave. _

_There was no way he could take on this small gathered force and expect to win, not to mention he had a kid with him and he was only at best capable of using basic fire-based attacks that wouldn't do much damage to the powerful elf and Amarok, maybe melt their armor at most if he was feeling optimistic. Not to mention his flame aura was beginning wane as he felt himself beginning to get light-headed. _

_He should've practiced more; recalling how his teacher would always complain that he never trained enough to hone his skill as a fire elemental. Instead he skipped most of his lessons opting to study books on the history of Etheria._

_If he'd practiced he would've sensed them approaching from a mile off. Instead…his gaze dropped down to the kid a guilt-ridden look on his face, he'd landed the both of them in a tight spot and it was only a matter of time before they were caught and killed._

_Alex, watched with growing apprehension as the Amarok circled the cave drawing closer to where he hid with the kid, instinctively he pushed the boy behind him. His muscles tensing involuntarily when the Amarok stood so close Alex could see every dent and scratch on the armor if he strained his eyes. _

_Come on think dammit what the hell can you remember about Amaroks and elves? They had to have weaknesses somewhere. I can't let this kid or me die here yet I have to get us both out of here or we'll both be dead. Alex shut his eyes tightly, his thoughts flying around barely giving him a chance to come up with a plan of escape._

"_Found you." The Amarok said with a twisted grin exposing his sharp white teeth, the shadows on his face making him appear even more sinister. _

_By sheer luck, Alex barely managed to grab the boy who yelped in surprise and dodge a deadly punch that left a fist-sized crater on the rock. _

"_For a second you really had me fooled pretty clever of you try and mask your aura along with that kid to be confused as the residue in cave. But-" in a flash he had closed the distance between the two, Wyper brought down his clenched fist down with a lot of force, a low snarl leaving his lips "you made one mistake you allowed yourself to get comfortable and then it was only a matter of time" cackling in amusement as he added more pressure in his attack._

_Alex raised his arms over his face, gritting his teeth when he felt himself the ground underneath him crack with the force of the attack. Grunting in exertion, when the Amarok pushed him further into the crater. _

"_Is this all the power you flame people have?" Wyper asked sardonically "I thought I would be getting something more interesting out of this" Bored, Wyper flipped backwards landing gracefully near the front of the cave on all fours, watching with disinterest as the man struggled out of the crater and slid into a shaky fighting stance. It wouldn't take much effort to kill this man and the brat, he observed as he stood up, licking the blood off his claws._

_Wyper cracked his furry knuckles menacingly, how long had it been since he had fought in the frontlines? Far too long in his opinion ever since he had gotten promoted to commander. At first he'd been somewhat ecstatic to accept such a position after envisioning what being commander entailed not only would he be able to fight much stronger opponents but also having command over his own force. _

_Only when he officially began his work did he realize the burden of his new occupation from the training of new recruits (all of them weaklings by his standards) to meeting other commanders to discuss strategy and ways to improve efficiency amongst soldiers. He could only watch as he slowly began to become trapped within the confines of a stuffy tent discussing matters that hardly held his interest. He could only glare enviously at the foot soldiers as they past by his tent wielding weapons, hearing the clash of metal against metal as they trained and honed their skills, wishing he could return to the chaotic unpredictability of fighting where it was either kill or be killed. _

_Wyper snarled quietly, his chewed ear turning to the side when he heard the 'twang' of a bowstring, in a flash he caught the arrow with his arm, hissing when the metal burnt his paw before throwing it to the ground and crushing it under his leather boot "I do not want you interfering with my fight Laki take the soldiers and scour the forest to see if there are any others who might be hiding." he bared his teeth in a vicious grin "well what's left of it, I can sense some odd presences that shouldn't be there"_

_He heard her curse heatedly, the crunch of dirt as she turned around and ordered the army to set off, she didn't argue with him because she knew he raised a valid point. Who knew there was an actual functioning brain that existed outside the basic functions of eat, kill and sleep? There orders were to exterminate all. If there were others and she let them escape then she would have to face the general's wrath on why she failed to carry out his orders. And much worse listen to the Amarok gloat about her negligence when it came to following orders._

_The grip on her brow tightening as she turned away from the entrance of the cave: exterminate, kill and destroy. Was this really the way she was going to spend the rest of her life, not the most ideal situation. Laki grit her teeth and looked at the gathered soldiers with a hard expression. To show weakness would lead to doubt and doubts amidst the lower ranks were seedlings that could bloom into violent nasty creatures that led to your inevitable destruction. A cold hard lesson that had been effectively drilled into the back of her mind, as she divided the men and gave them orders on where to go. Showing weakness meant going against the cause what it was she had long since forgotten._

_Alex glanced at the approaching Amarok, the absence of light as he drew closer making him appear more menacing. His hands tightened around a small round object in his pocket, he'd only have one shot at this. Kid I need you to listen to me very carefully, wincing when all the fear from the boy flooded into his own subconscious. I need you to listen to me kid,_

_Ace found it strange hearing a voice in his head strange (despite being taught how useful it was to communicate telepathically) and somewhat terrifying it felt like he somebody had violated his privacy. So it came to a shock when Alex was able to easily pass all his guards _

_I need you to listen to me Ace I only have one shot at this, Alex pressed on urgently his heart nearly skipping a beat when he watched the Amarok crouch down all fours, his body grew larger, almost blocking out the mouth of cave._

_Alex looked uneasily at the Amarok, his grip around the small orb tightening until it shattered it. Inhaling sharply when he felt a sudden spike in energy, he'd been warned countless times by the old lout never to use these as they came with a great price. What it was he had long since forgotten._

_Well today was as good as any day to find out. He watched in fascination beautiful red markings shot up his arm from where he'd crushed the orb, small tendrils of fire dancing around his feet before extending upwards and him in a cocoon. He could feel the beautiful and destructive power aching to be let loose in a show of terrifying power. Alex raised a quivering hand and studied it in fascination, the beautiful flames had an almost hypnotic effect on him as he watched them grow, shrink and sway._

_**Do you accept? **__Alex blinked in surprise completely unsure where the source of the voice was coming from. He wanted to respond but found sentences collapsing into mere words before he could properly reply._

_**Are you aware of the price? **__Alex still unable to reply nodded his head slowly. A cold laughter of amusement sent shivers down his spine something about this voice set Alex on edge. _

_**Very well. **_

_All Alex could do was gasp in surprise, no words could describe the agony he was feeling as more energy was forced into his body, his limbs twitching as more of the energy entered his body. __**Just try not to die before then otherwise it would have been such a waste. **__Alex could almost picture the genuine insincerity behind these words. Was this what his professor meant by pay the price, a niggling feeling told him it was something far much worse. "What-who are you?" he choked out, feeling the edges of his conscious begin to fade. _

_Wyper watched with perked interest as the flames began to shrink, revealing the man he had attacked an excited gleam appearing in his eyes-not only had his appearance completely change; his clothes were completely burnt off leaving behind a naked body made completely of fire that was seemingly genderless, red tattoos covered his long arms and broad shoulders while two large horns that curved at the tips protruded from the center of his forehead. A rusty metal neck cuff clamped tightly around its long thin neck, with two long chains connected from the back of the cuff clacking against each other with every movement he made, the sound strangely hypnotic._

_One of the biggest changes Wyper noted was the drastic increase in power and he could've sworn for a second the power felt foreign and surreal? Not realizing whilst observation Wyper had begun to stare at the elemental for far too long. _

"_**Are you going to stand there or are you going to come at me?" **__The words sounded warbled and raspy as if more than one person was speaking. _

_Wyper shook his head, slightly embarrassed that he'd been caught staring at his opponent, still his grip tightened around the sword as he charged forward. Something about the fire elemental had his hackles raised; one wrong move would mean his death. Much to his surprise a large tendril of fire shot forward, wrapped around the sword crushing it. Instinct being the only thing saved him as he rolled to the side; as another tendril of fire aiming for his chest shot forward at an equally frightening speed. His body shook with anticipation as he gazed at the fire elemental, maybe this was going to be his worth while. _

"_I guess it's true what they say about cornered rats we'll bite" Wyper remarked his eyes taking a more sinister glint, as he slid into a fighting stance, not taking his eyes off the man for a second in case he tried to send one of those tendrils at him again. _

_The deadly dance continued as Wyper shot forward only to retreat when long tendrils of fire burst from the elemental's chest, barely giving him any chance to retaliate or come up with a plan as he jumped from one part of the cave to another in order to avoid being stabbed, noting how the fire elemental hadn't even moved from his spot. Wyper could only widen his eyes as the thing accelerated towards him a lance made of fire firmly gripped in its hand stabbing it into his chest, the plated armour doing nothing protect him. It was almost unfair how easy the lance pierced through the armour._

_Fireproof my ass, he grunted as he stumbled backwards, dropping to his knees. Those blacksmiths didn't count the fact that he might encounter someone-or, he glanced at the man, something this powerful. It was pathetic how he still hadn't managed to land a hit on neither the elemental nor the scrawny brat yet._

"_**Portgas D. Ace" **_

_Ace raised his head upward to look at the back of the fire elemental that was looking at him, unable to speak as he gazed into those dead green eyes. "Who are you?" he asked _

"_**I am simply who I am" **__it replied in that same warped voice_

_Ace shook his head "You're not- you can't be-how?" just as the thing opened its mouth to reply, out of the corner of his eye ,Ace spotted a large amount of energy gather around the Amarok's clenched fist, the warning was barely out of his mouth when the creature shot forward. For a disturbing moment Ace actually thought the Amarok had succeeded in crushing Alex's head, he watched in morbid fascination as flames sprouted from his caved in skull swallowing his head for a brief second before dissipating._

"_**Not bad, for a moment you almost succeeded in catching me off guard." **__it commented sardonically its left arm raised __**"but you are ten thousand years too young to be challenging me, flaming halberd" **__brilliant flames shot forward from his raised hand, tearing and ripping anything within sight, Wyper could only raise his hands in defense, biting the bottom of his lip-the flames were hot he could feel them burning his arms under the armour._

_Being an Amarok, Wyper was no stranger to injuries whether it was from the prey he hunted, struggling piteously with a wild-look of desperation in their almost glassy eyes, as he slowly began to close his jaw around their trachea, welcoming the metallic taste of blood as it squirted into his mouth. To the countless fights he had engaged in all for the cause opponent after opponent leaving him with a small memento on his body as they lay dying at his feet. Yes, pain wasn't a foreign feeling to Wyper, the only thing he had gotten good at was masking it, as long as he could still stand then he could continue what brought him pleasure-fighting._

_Wyper groaned in pain, the bastard was strong there was no doubt about it if he used a couple more of those flame halberds or if he took another several flame lances to the chest he'd be a goner. His vision was swimming with spots, as he stumbled clumsily back to his leg, panting heavily with the exertion as he supported one of his burnt arms on his bent knee, as the cracked and melted armour he once for protection felt more like a burden than anything. _

"_**What a nuisance" **__Alex observed with a deadpan expression as he turned around to face the half-dead Amarok before sauntering his way across the cave to where, the Amarok lay hunched over, his breathing raspy as blood trickled down to his feet. Grabbing a handful of his mane, Alex lifted the Amarok to his knees and gazed into his eyes __**"Why do you continue to fight?"**_

_Wyper chuckled darkly "The same reason you do, I suppose" _

_Alex tossed the Amarok's body across the cave and began to laugh quietly to himself as the Amarok groaned in pain "__**The same reason I continue to fight, you say? That is quite the pretentious statement" **__the flames grew wilder and larger around his feet, while he slowly clapped __**"I congratulate you, on making the most foolhardy assumption I have ever heard, in fact allow me to repay you in kind" **__in a flash cleared the small distance and placed his hand on top of Wyper's face a twisted grin on his face __**"I'll make this quick since I don't think this weakling will be able to hold on for much longer" **__a scent of burning fur filled the cave, as it began to burn the Amarok's face, pinning the larger body down with its free arm as Wyper writhed weakly around in pain, its muscles flexed when the Amarok arched its back._

_With a final twitch of his tail, Wyper was still._

"_Alex-" Ace's voice was weak, breathless and most of all scared, Alex didn't even turn to look at him as he stood, the blood splattered across his body beginning to evaporate_

"_**Do not compare me with that weakling I am merely carrying out orders,"**_

"_What do you-?" ___

"_**Don't you get it" **__after gazing at the still Amarok one last time stood up and turned to face Ace, its eyes no longer green but black, his sclera red __**"he is already dead in return for my assistance he traded his soul," **__his grin grew wider __**"how naïve to put trust in one who is the sole definition of deceitfulness" **_

"_Monster"_

_It cackled revealing rows of sharpened teeth__** "I believe the correct term is demon, then again my name has been changed so many times I've begun to lost count. The creature is dead now and so I can return" **__it turned to face the mouth of the cave, its voice nonchalant.__** "Try to avoid running through the town, you'll be dead before you can even breathe and try not to stay long here either" **__he added the beginnings of hysterical laugh edging into his warped voice as it made it's way towards the entrance._

_Ace nodded dumbly "But-?" by then the creature had already disappeared. Leaving him in the dark, an eerie silence settling into the cave. _

…

Ace shot up from the book he had been sleeping on, his back drenched in cold sweat. Releasing the tight grip he had on the table as he stood up to his feet. "_It was just a memory," _he whispered to himself

Turning to face the open window, he looked down to the trees swaying in the wind as small colorful birds flew from one flower to another chirping amongst each other as they flew from one flower to another from the growing from the hedges that lined the cobblestone pathway. Looking ahead, Ace watched as different hues of orange and yellow bled into the horizon spreading across the strange tall buildings mixing wonderfully with the slowly darkening sky, Ace found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the sight.

A chilly gust of wind blew in through the window, sending the papers on the table flying everywhere, creating an even larger than mess before. It didn't bother him anyway, the rest of those papers were just random scribbles. Minutes passed with him not moving from window, lost in thought until a pair of cold rough hands on his shoulders mildly startled him out of his contemplation.

He growled in annoyance as he turned to face the stern expression of the head librarian. A short and stout dwarf with beady black eyes hidden behind a pair of large glasses that took up from three quarters of his face. Unnaturally pale skin was hidden behind shield of tweed shirts and corduroy pants. So far up till now, Ace could have sworn the dwarf had it out for him from the way he sneered as he called him Mr. Portgas when he came to use the library. Throwing him dirty looks every time he passed Ace from the corner of his eyes.

"Mr. Portgas I am sure you are aware when the library closes, correct?" the dwarf said through clenched teeth, while picking up a book from the table and snapping close and placing it on a tray of books-probably to return them to their correct places.

Ace gave a tight nod "Of course sir I'll leave right now" he said in a forced polite tone "I was just about to go right now."

"That is head librarian to you Mr. Portgas don't refer to me any other way I am not your familiar" Jericho sniffed disdainfully as he continued to clear the desk of books. Cursing heatedly when he felt a sticky substance on one of the books, brats these days just do not understand the significance of these books.

Ace made a rude noise "Don't flatter yourself" he swapped dialects "I'd rather fight against a Wyvern" a shudder going through his body as he remembered the less than pleasant experience he had when he came across one. Reaching for his bag Ace hefted over his shoulder and walked past Jericho ignoring the glare he was giving him as he walked down the stairs, the wood creaking under his weight.

As he stepped Ace welcomed the fresh air of the desolate school compound. He waved to the old security guard as he stepped out of the gate into the paved streets taking a right after walking for two blocks into a residential street full of apartments with restaurants bistros on the ground floor.

Taking a left when he reached another intersection and continued in a straight path, stopping when he reached a rusted gate with overgrown blades of grass that were taller than him grew behind the gate, dried vines wrapped the chipped and cracked cement walls. Digging around in his pocket until his hands were poked by something dull and pulled it out.

A key ring with several different shaped and size keys on it, choosing the oldest looking key and putting it into the rusted padlock locking the gates. After opening the padlock, he shoved the key into his bag and slowly the pushed the gates, the coppery brown hinges creaking in protest as the gate swung back brushing some of the blades of grass back and entered.

Blades of grass brushed across his face and clothes as he walked forward, trusting his instinct to guide him, and coming to a stop when he reached an old abandoned house. Half of the roof already caved in, leaving a large gaping hole.

The two front windows bordered with rotten pieces of timbers while half of the porch was missing. The front door hanging by its hinges, Ace stepped over the pieces of timber and screen door entering the house. He didn't know why he came here only that two days ago on his way home from school, he found himself oddly drawn to the beyond repairable house.

Ace focused on his upturned palm, a ball of orange fire no bigger than a clenched fist appearing in seconds later a useful trick he had been taught that didn't require much effort. He shined the light around the dimly lit room, pausing when he came to face the rickety staircase. Getting the same strange in his feeling when he looked up, the hairs on the back of his head standing erect as he approached the stairs. The sound of the creaking footsteps amplified in the quiet house, the silence returning when he reached the landing.

Five paces to the right (the left part of the hallway had completely caved in) he opened the door on his right and walked in. He coaxed a little more heat into his flame to provide more illumination in the dark room. A cheap discolored wallpaper covered the walls, some of it torn in areas exposing the chipped away plaster underneath, moth eaten filthy windows flapped in the window on the left of the window was a large cupboard most of it's shelves missing.

Ace began to question whether coming to this house was a really practical way of spending his time when his brief search around the room brought up nothing worthwhile, not even sure what he was expecting to find in this house to begin with. Sighing when he finally exited the house, the final signs of sunset beginning to fade as night drew. _Maybe I'd just imagined it. _

He gave the tall grass one more curious glance, before he continued down the road, stopping only when he reached the familiar apartment building where he lived.

"Old hag" he greeted when he entered, snatching the key from the counter and climbing up the stairs to his apartment. After opening the door and flipping the light switch on he threw his bag onto the limp sofa and went into the kitchen in search of a drink something that would help clear his mind, the light in fridge providing a weak source of light in the otherwise dark kitchen and living room.

A grin broke onto his face the when he spotted a single bottle of mead in the otherwise empty fridge, the shopkeeper had been hesitant on selling it to a seventeen year old and so he did the next thing after being denied-and stole it when the slow-witted shopkeeper wasn't looking, stuffing it into his bag and casually strolling out of the store.

He pulled the cork off the bottle, as he walked towards the balcony, enjoying the bitter taste as the cool brown liquid slide down his parched throat. Placing his folded arm against the metal rail, Ace studied the stars with a small frown on his face. He could've sworn he was hallucinating for a moment as he stepped out of the house he heard a raspy voice barely above whisper calling him from behind. Only to turn and find nothing. What's more a part of him recognized it and yet he could have sworn he'd never heard such a voice before. What had it said again-Infirmise, Infernis or was it Vertigo? He shook his head slowly refusing to dwell on it further, draining the final dregs of mead from the bottle a content look on his face.


	4. Of course this means war

_One by one the council members began to file into the room and take their seats around a large rectangular table where a map had been laid out, small wooden figurines were placed neatly in a circle around one area. Rayleigh, the last to enter the room, took his place at the head of the table, golden eyes sweeping across to make sure that everyone who was needed was in attendance; only one council member appeared to be absent, "We know why we are all here, I presume," he stated._

_A collective round of nods was all the confirmation he needed before he drew out a small silver flask from within the folds of his crisp white robe, "Then I will get right to the point because we don't have much time to waste."_

_Shakky, from her seat next to the dragon, stood up and tapped a long finger nail against the map in the center of the table, "We need to have a small army mobilized and sent to Infirmis, but there is a problem with that; we're here," she dragged her finger across the map until it reached the edge, "And they're all the way over there. We also don't know who we might be fighting. If it's an allied nation it could be seen as an act of war, with that in mind, it would also be considered a breach of the agreement stating that we shall not involve ourselves in internal affairs unless they require our assistance."_

_Sighing in mild irritation, Rayleigh took another sip from his flask. If what she said turned out to be true, that would mean that they could land themselves in an even bigger mess than the one they were already in, and what's more was the fact that they had attacked not more than a few hours ago and had already caused so much devastation. If he went by the message he received from one of his personal couriers while he was making his way here, by the time they mobilized the army and set out they would most likely arrive far too late to save anyone at all._

_A fishman with vermillion red scales and slanted narrow eyes shook his head quickly, "Allied nations be damned. If we don't anything now, we're letting a massacre happen, and I don't think we'd all be able to sleep well knowing we let something like that happen."_

_Nyon-Baa shot a warning glance towards the fishman, "I'd watch my tone if I were you, Fisher. There was a reason why that agreement was set up, if we go back on our word we will be no better than when were all sworn enemies."_

_Attempting, and failing, to control his inner rage, he slammed his fist against the table, causing the figurines on the map to topple over, "This isn't about rules, or war for that matter, Nyon-Baa! If we let things happen as it is, we'll just be fooling ourselves into thinking that we are keepers of peace," he was beginning to lose his patience with the amount of inactivity, "Forgive me for my discourteous actions, but as we sit here idly, innocent lives are being taken. Do not tell me you would rather sat here in this hall knowing as long as your kingdom is safe that there is no point in assisting others in need!" He roared furiously._

_A slender pale hand rested against Fisher's muscular arm in an attempt to calm him down, "Fisher, please sit back down. We all want to help but yelling won't solve anything."_

_Fisher paused before he slowly sank back down in his chair, not taking his eyes off the large hazel brown eyes of the Queen of Fishman Island. After a few moments, he spoke, "Apologies, Your Highness, I just couldn't control myself."_

_Otohime smiled softly, "There is no need to apologize for your actions; talk of peace has always made you passionate, neh?" She turned to Rayleigh with a confident look on her face, "Although this goes against my beliefs as a pacifist, I believe the only logical course of action would be to–"_

_Just then, the large doors at the end of the room swung open violently, cutting off the last few words the Queen was about to say as the interest shifted to the awkward new presence in front of them. Some stifled their laughter while others inwardly rolled their eyes at the unprofessional way the younger dragon chose to carry himself in. Rayleigh, accustomed to the younger dragon's brash and impulsive nature, looked on calmly ahead as he flopped down in the nearest seat, not even bothering to explain why he had arrived late as he immediately began to fidget impatiently with the hem of his brown buckskin cloak._

_"It is good to see you arrived on time," Rayleigh greeted sarcastically, "Is everything I asked prepared?"_

_From his seat, Shanks nodded darkly, "Everything has been prepared…but why have you refused to let me go with the first brigade? I'm one of the best fighters! I taught soldiers how to fight with their swords before they even knew how to hold the damn things!" The dragon slammed his clenched taloned fist against the table as he shot out of his seat, "I want to help so why won't you let me?!" He seethed with rage._

_It didn't take much to figure out that the elder dragon was annoyed by the younger's impetuous mannerism and blatant disregard for etiquette as he spoke in such a disrespectful manner to his superior. His aura was pouring out in chilling waves of a transparent silver, freezing any object it touched in the room and clouding the windows as he silently took in every venom filled word thrown his way. Finally, when he was sure Shanks was finished with his ranting, Rayleigh cleared his throat and directed a murderous but impassive look towards him, "You are right in your reasoning that in the army you are one of the strongest fighters. However, did you ever stop to think of what kind of opponent you might encounter?"_

_Shanks faltered, surprised by the sharp voice his teacher spoke in, though quickly regaining his composure while ignoring the concerned looks directed his way, "I don't care whoever the enemy is all I want to do is fight those monsters and protect the innocent!"_

_"And what if the so-called innocent elementals you wanted to protect are all dead?" Shakky interjected._

_"And how would you know this, demon?" Fisher hissed._

_He watched as she plucked up a fallen figurine and studied it, crushing it seconds later in between her thumb and pointer finger, "I don't. Just a hunch," was her cryptic response, "Sometimes it's hard to accept the truth, but what if by the time you reach there, all of them are dead?" A sinister smile tugged at the edge of her lips as she took a sip of red wine from the tall glass next to her._

_"But aren't we being a little too pessimistic, Shakky? After all, if they really were all dead then you wouldn't be here, would you?" Otohime shot back, the beginnings of a smirk playing on her dainty rosy lips, "I'd prefer it if we didn't come to such conclusions when there is no evidence to prove that it is indeed true."_

_Absently, Rayleigh adjusted the sleeve of his robe. Perhaps things were going to be easier than he'd anticipated, "Then it is decided," he called out._

_All heads turned towards the dragon with varying forms of inquisition marred on their faces– save for Shanks, who leaned into the table with a grin on his face, already knowing what the other would say._

_"Then may I suggest a course of action?" Shakky spoke up, picking up another figurine and twisting it around as she waited for the dragon to respond. Instead, he kept quiet– a sure sign that he was willing to listen to her suggestion, "Allow the hatchling to go with the soldiers; after all, he is one of the best fighters, next to that golden-eyed cat-sith–Mihawk. Not only will they have the support of a dragon but also a great navigator. He would be our best chance of finding our way through Magellan's Pass as he's flown through there several times before and come out almost unscathed. Because it's the quickest route to Infirmis, it will cut our time by several hours and, as you know, time is something that we cannot afford to lose."_

_Shanks began to smile but chose to stay silent, his earlier temper having simmered down._

_The older dragon remained quiet for a moment longer before he finally looked up and gave his reluctant answer, "Very well then. Shanks, I trust that you will gather the ready troops," he said, already regretting his answer when the younger dragon shot up from his seat, knocking it over and attempting to walk in a dignified manner towards the door, his sharp eyes catching the slight tremble of excitement as he pushed the door open._

_As if reading his mind, Otohime spoke up, "Don't worry yourself so much, Rayleigh. You've left the army in very capable hands; after all, we still have the advantage of surprise in our arsenal, neh? I shall lend a hand, although…there is one thing that troubles me so and I have yet to figure out an answer."_

_Rayleigh arched his eyebrow quizzically, "And what is that?"_

_"Why has no one from the army of Infirmis made any form of contact with us? Even though they haven't technically joined the allied nations yet we would've gladly lent assistance, considering they were about to join us today anyway. The document was sent out a fortnight ago, it should've been sent back by today."_

_Fisher nodded his angular head in agreement, "It's been on my mind as well. Could it be possible the attack on Infirmis was planned?"_

_"It's a possibility that should be taken into consideration," Rayleigh said, "While we are still unsure of who planned this attack, it all seems far too coincidental that they chose to attack today of all days."_

_"I might have an idea as to whom the army might be, although it is a mere speculation," Shakky watched in amusement as all the eyes in the room shifted to her, waiting apprehensively to hear what she had to say._

_"Why did you wait until now to tell us?" Fisher inquired impatiently as he folded his arms over his broad chest and directed a cold glare towards the demon in an attempt to appear intimidating in front of her._

_Amused by his restlessness, Shakky chuckled, "Because nobody had asked. And because the subject had not been approached yet."_

_She interrupted herself as she shifted into a much more serious demeanor, "Are any of you familiar with the Celestial Rose Army," she stated more than asked._

_At those words, an eerie silence settled over the room as realization began to dawn on them, expressions of disgust showed on all the mythical creature's varied faces._

_Otohime shook her head lightly, "But that's impossible! They don't have the resources to gather all the equipment and experience necessary to manage an army do they?" She asked, her earlier confidence of her knowledge of the situation wavering, "How could they have grown so big in such a short amount of time? Besides, we made sure that Kaidou was locked up in the heart of Nihil after his act of treachery ten years ago, how could he escape if what is bordering Nihil is the Nesra forest? As long as he is in Nihil, he can't transform," her grip on the edge of the table grew stronger as she rambled on, the rough hand placed on her tense shoulders doing nothing to ease her nerves._

_"What if there was someone else controlling from the shadows?" Fisher suggested darkly, hoping and praying what he said wasn't true._

_Shakky sniggered lightly, "If that's true, then it is safe to say that he or she was the one holding the real power and that Kaidou was just being used as a figurehead," she said calmly, her words delivered with a cruel malevolence._

_Otohime was barely able to repress a shudder as she watched Shakky's eyes glow fuchsia as a forked tongue licked her full red lips hungrily; a dangerous aura seemed to surround the demon before disappearing shortly after. Had she been imagining it, or did she feel the aura of death surround her? As she thought this, it felt as though a blade was being pressed against her throat. She delicately stroked her neck, feeling the sensation had gone._

_"My queen, are you feeling well?" A concerned Fisher asked, directing a suspicious glance towards the demon who waved her hand back in an innocent manner to deter any suspicion._

_He removed his hand from her shoulder and she flashed a weak smile at him, "I'm alright," she lied, feeling it would be better to avoid telling the fishman what she'd felt a second earlier. For now, Otohime decided that she'd focus on the matter at hand and question the demon later on whatever dark magic she had used on her._

_Rayleigh tapped the edge of table as he carefully thought about what Shakky had said and as the seconds passed on, the theory began to make more sense, "If what you've said is true," his eyes swivelled towards where the demon was sitting, "We arrested the wrong person."_

_"Not necessarily, we just overlooked the others involved."_

_The dragon sighed in mild annoyance, "How troublesome," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt the beginnings of headache coming on, "We shall send a small force then; there is no need to jump around pointless rules and regulations if they're from the Celestial Army."_

_Otohime frowned, "And if we're wrong?"_

_"Then I'll take the blame from the higher-ups," he answered confidently._

* * *

_Shanks couldn't help the edges of his lips tugging upwards in an excited grin as he crossed the manicured green compounds to a large building with a silvery dome on top that seemed glisten brightly under the glare of the hot sun._

_He pushed the large heavy wooden doors open effortlessly and entered the dimly lit armory of the union building. As he waited for the mythical creature who maintained the armor of the union army to appear, he allowed his eyes wander around, letting out a low whistle when he spotted a bridle made from ground unicorn horn. He admired the leather work on the saddle; he'd give anything to use it, even if it was just for a test flight. He jumped in surprise when a calloused pale blue hand that smelled of burnt charcoal and cigarettes waved in front of his face. He flashed an appreciative smile as he accepted the familiar gear as it was handed to him._

_"You better bring it back in one piece; I ain't even going to bother to fix it next time, you reckless brat," he spat out sourly._

_His grin widened even further, "Did you get that kink in the armor near the breast plate I was telling you about?"_

_The pale troll made a rude noise, "You doubting my work, brat? Look, you do your job and I'll do mine. Now get out of here, I can't stand the sight of any of you young mythos in my armory messing up my equipment," he grumbled the last bit as he turned around and began to hobble to a door behind his wooden desk, slamming it with an air of finality._

_"You'll still come and fasten the armor on, right?" He shouted uncertainly towards the closed door, not sure he'd get a reply from the senile old troll. Hearing nothing, the young dragon, eager to set off into the sky, picked his heavy silvery white armor off the table and left the armory, not to eager to have any piece of armor or tool thrown at his head for overstaying his very limited welcome._

_…_

_Red wings curled tight as he began to gain momentum, getting closer and closer to the ground as the wind swept past his streamlined body, zipping through the colorful rings with ease– the tips of his wings just missing the edges by mere millimeters. At the last second, he opened his wings to slow down his descent. He hovered for a second as he studied the ground, spotting a familiar figure in the distance._

_He bared his sharp teeth in a mischievous grin as he let himself fall, landing with a thump. Taking in a lungful of air– purposefully awakening his aura to breathe out fire– he let out a hearty roar that caused the ground to tremble that earned him a chilling glare from the tall and lean calico werecat dressed in a black dress shirt and loose pants, a large sword strapped firmly to his back, "I see you're all ready to go," he commented with a deadpan expression, not even startled from the earlier outburst, "I hope you won't behave so recklessly when we set off."_

_Shanks huffed, two rings of smoke coming out of his flared nostrils as his claws dug into the ground, disappointed that his plan to startle the werecat had failed miserably, "I am not a hatchling anymore, Hawky!" Shanks whined._

_"Yet you still choose to behave like one," he retorted._

_The dragon exhaled sharply, sending a waft of hot air towards the cat sìth as he bared his teeth, a low warning growled in offence escaping his mouth, "Care to spar before we head off with the rest of the army to Infirmis?" He challenged._

_The cat sìth wrapped a furry hand around the hilt of his sword, his stance widening as the pebbles beneath his feet shifted, "I don't see why not," this wouldn't be the first time that he'd sparred with dragon before they went off to the northern courtyard, anyway, "I should warn you, though, that I don't intend to go easy on you– I'd expect the same from you."_

_Shanks let out a low rumble in an attempted laugh, "If that was even option, since I'm fighting against you," he said, his voice low and rough._

_Faster than he could blink, the cat sìth had drawn his sword from its hilt and swept it in a neat arc across a gust of sharp wind, leaving small scratches on the plates that protected the soft orange scales lining Shank's torso._

_In retaliation, the dragon let loose a torrent of flames, spewed from his mouth. His sharp eyesight caught the movement of the werecat dodging the fire, the edges of his shirt singed from the heat as he drew his sword back and charged him head-on, determined to aim for the gap in his armour._

_The muscles in his arms tensed as he caught the sword with his bare hands, feeling the sharp metal digging into his palm, drawing out blood. His feet created small craters in the cobblestone floor at the force and a burst of laughter escaped his lips, "I see you've gotten stronger since the last time we sparred."_

_Smirking, the werecat pulled back his sword from the dragon's grip and balanced it on his shoulder, "The same goes for you."_

_Licking the blood off his hand, Shanks called out on his dragon aura to heal the scratches on his palms, exposing his teeth in an excited grin, "A tie, then," he stated. As much as he would've enjoyed fighting the werecat more, they had to get to the northern courtyard as soon as possible. He jerked his thumb towards a paved road with hedges growing on both sides, "Shall we get going then?"_

_Nodding, the werecat returned his sword back into its sheathe and began to trail after the dragon who was a few paces ahead of him. His lips grew thin as his whiskers twitched in agitation, his narrow cat-like face betraying little of what he felt as he chatted with the hyperactive dragon. Finally, he found the opportune moment to breach the question he had been wanting to ask, "Do you honestly believe there'll be any survivors left by the time we arrive?" Mihawk was no fool, he'd fought in more wars than he could care to count on the council's behalf and had seen it all; he knew what despair and hopelessness looked like, being both on the receiving end with his small force and the one to witness it in his opponent's eyes as he raised his sword for the final strike that would end their lives._

_Shanks froze mid-step._

_"Do you honestly think there will be any survivors left?" Mihawk repeated, only this time more firmly._

_The dragon ground his teeth; he, too, had seen the terrible and ugly side of wars as he slayed without much heed those that stood in front of him, knowing in the back of his mind that if he stopped one of his comrades would die. But even he knew some wars could not be won with brute strength alone and that who you protected initially became more confusing with every kill of another, "We won't know until we get there," was his simple reply._

_The two trudged on in silence, the smooth pebbles that made up the path sliding against the delicate padding on the cat sìth's feet. On occasion, he gave a curious glance towards the dragon, who appeared to be lost in thought, if the strange look on his face was anything to go by. He wondered if what bothered him was the question that he had asked him before. The other knew what he had said held a semblance of truth, but he chose to deny the thought firmly, believing that there might be a few survivors._

_Of course, there were many other questions that he wanted to ask the dragon, but as long as he had that expression, Mihawk knew it would better just to leave him as he is and ask once the dragon had finished his train of thought, as long as he approached the subject with caution, "Shanks," he called out._

_The red tuft at the end of his tail twitched subconsciously, "What?" He asked, somewhat surprised, earning a contemptuous snort from the werecat._

_"Nothing. We've arrived," he stated simply to the dragon, motioning towards the open dusty compound where hundreds of mythical creatures were lined up in neat rows. The soldiers were dressed in thick padded brown leather armor that was sewn together with a thick thread to allow more maneuverability than metal or chain-mail, and metal headgear with an uprising royal blue tuft of dyed bristled hemp with tribal markings painted in a similar shade to the tuft painted on the sides._

_Shanks walked towards the area where he saw the Commander was standing. The man was a tall behemoth with skin the color of birch; in place of his right hand was a large axe and a metal plate replaced the bottom of his jaw; his hair was a dirty blonde but the lower half of his torso was that of horse with obsidian fur. The man was currently yelling heatedly at a young servant with short pink hair who looked very near to wetting himself. He sighed, this is why they had a bad reputation as leaders. He walked over and, without much effort, pulled back the clearly taller centaur, "I believe you've lectured him enough, Commander Morgan. What is it that did done that annoyed you so much?" He wanted to end this little argument before they set off._

_"He didn't address me by my title," he growled, grabbing the collar of the servant's shirt and lifting him off the ground for further emphasis, "This little piece of shit thought it was fine to call me Morgan instead of Captain!" He roared, now completely enraged._

_Shanks studied the quivering servant before his eyes swivelled to the muscular centaur, then back to the servant again, feeling the hundreds of eyes watching him as he carefully thought of how diffuse the centaur's rage. Finally, his face lit up with an answer, "I'm sure it was just a mistake. If it make's you feel any better, I will see to it that his insolence be reported to his caretaker so that he may receive a punishment on your behalf."_

_Morgan glanced down at the young dragon for a second longer before unceremoniously dropping the servant onto the floor, grunting in agreement. He turned his square head, refusing to make eye contact with the younger dragon, "See to it then," he barked, trotting off to attend to other matters._

_The servant hurriedly got to his feet, albeit rather clumsily, and bowed in greeting, thanking the dragon for his generous gesture before hurrying out of the compound._

_"That was very generous of you," Mihawk said, his brow furrowed as his golden eyes roved over the gathered soldiers. He suppressed a dark chuckle when recalled the centaur's expression at how quickly his title was reduced to something of such little significance as soon as Shanks spoke._

_Shanks chuckled lightly, "A compliment from you– now I've heard everything."_

_"You do realize that with Morgan gone, you will have to take over and give orders."_

_The dragon's face fell in an almost comical fashion; he was hoping to just blend in with the other soldiers once they arrived at Infirmis, he'd sneak off and let his instinct guide him to where he might find either a survivor or a place with some opponents he could fight. Shanks sighed as he hopped off the raised platform, letting out a roar that echoed throughout the dusty compound, making all the mythical creatures freeze and turn their attention to him, "I need all of you to listen to me because I do not want to repeat myself– we don't have much time on our hands."_

_All the creatures nodded their heads in a collective response._

_"Good. To get to Infirmis we'll be travelling through Magellan's Pass, I'm sure you've all heard rumors about what a dangerous place it is," two servants scurried in with a large board which they placed behind the dragon, "Unfortunately, because time is a luxury, we cannot afford to go around it. We'll be using this route since it is the shortest way possible to get Infirmis and will cut our travel time by five hours," he said, slamming his palm against a large part of the map behind him that had been circled._

_Ignoring the gasps of horror at what he'd suggested, Shanks continued, "All wing oriented creatures shall be following me– and let me make one thing very clear, do not for a second underestimate the erratic weather of Magellan's Pass. Otherwise, you will find yourself plummeting to your death in a matter of seconds and jagged pieces of rock willpierce the hollow bones in your wings and/or tear apart the delicate membrane, making flight impossible._

_"Mihawk will take the road with those of you who cannot fly. I don't care if he may be younger than some of you, he is your best chance of getting out of their alive, so make sure to stick in a tight formation and don't go wandering off for one reason or another because you might never find your way out of the dense fog and will inevitably die a slow and miserable death by starvation or dehydration," inhaling deeply, Shanks accepted a drink one of the servants had brought for him, finishing it in one greedy gulp, "Good. Now, all winged creatures, follow me. We'll head to the southern compound and go due south-east from there. The rest of you, make sure to follow Mihawk's orders without complaint," he ordered, watching as the group of assembled fighters shifted around, moving to their designated leaders respectfully, determined not to be left behind._

_Shanks glanced at the soldiers. Having already shifted into his full dragon form, his red scales speckled orange and black ones glittered like precious jewels under the rays of the sun. He snorted a short burst of flame, smoke rising from his flared nostrils, and slowly raised his wings experimentally while being cautious not to hit anyone within his wingspan. Satisfied, he flapped his wings and with a mighty burst, set off into the sky, several of the other fighters not too far behind._

_Meanwhile, on the ground, Mihawk and the rest of fighters who couldn't fly set off at full speed due north of the Union building, a large cloud of dust gathering in their wake as they sprinted across the hot desert sands; they would have use a different route from the fliers to reach Magellan's pass._

_A few hours earlier…_

_Ace shook his head for fifth time, refusing to glance behind him as he weaved around the outskirts of the empty town. If he stopped for even a second they might find him and would undoubtedly kill him like they did with everyone else. The scent of dark magic hung heavily in the air, overpowering the smell of burnt corpses and blood that ran like mini rivers, snaking around the burnt bodies– so many decapitated bodies._

_It was clear they didn't want any fire elementals to live on; his lungs burnt from having not inhaled fresh air for so long and the strain of running with the small cuts and bruises he'd gotten from his time in the burnt forest became more prominent with each excruciating step he took forward. The fear of death was the only that kept him moving forward– that, and what that man, Alex, who'd sacrificed himself so that he could escape and be free, had said to him. Escape to where, though?_

_From behind him he heard harsh shouting in another language, the voices not too far away from where he stood. Without giving it much thought, Ace jumped behind the nearest building, pushing his body back against the shadows as much as possible while his heart raced a mile minute. He heard heavy footsteps draw nearer and nearer until they were just in front of him, so close that he could make out their silhouettes._

_The seconds seemed to pass by agonizingly slowly as he waited patiently in his hiding, praying fervently that they didn't decide to turn around because if they did, they would easily be able to find and kill him._

_Surviving was suddenly the last thing on his mind as he watched through fearful eyes as the two soldiers talked to each other– one of them going as far as to lean heavily against the remnants of the charred wall while they continued their discussion. Finally, after a few more terror filled minutes, Ace watched as they began to walk away letting out a sigh of relief he didn't he'd been holding in until he could no longer see the two men anymore– he'd have to be more careful next time._

_His eyes dropped to the strange marking on inside part of his arm; he'd investigate what it meant later on, for now, he had to focus on getting out of the town. Reentering the burning streets for a second, he spotted a head of pink hair before it disappeared once again. He rubbed his eyes, doubting what he thought he'd saw. 'Maybe it was just my imagination?' He wondered. Out of curiosity, Ace decided to go by his gut instinct and search for the person he thought he saw; even if it was just wasting time, if it was who thought it was then it didn't matter to him if he got caught, as long as he satisfied his curiosity._

_Cautiously, he stepped out from his hiding spot behind the dilapidated building and took hurried steps towards where he saw the head from a hole in the charred wall._

_"Look out!"_

_Ace's eyes widened as two pale arms wrapped tightly around his torso and for a second he was in midair before landing hard on his back, unable to move as a heavy object rooted him to the dirt road, small pieces of rock tearing at the scab of the gash on his back._

_When the danger subsided, Rouge peered curiously over the wall, but when she saw the soldiers she immediately ducked her head back down. Her hazel brown eyes dropped to the study the kid she had spotted following her and bit back a gasp of surprise as she immediately recognized the obsidian black curly locks of hair and childish freckles splattered across his nose and cheeks, "Ace," her voice was barely above a whisper as she gently removed her arms from around his body._

_"Mum," his shock mirrored her own as he raised and placed his hand against her soot-covered face to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Satisfied that she was real, Ace wrapped his arms around his mother's body, "Mum," he repeated in relief, snuggling his face closer as soft locks of pale pink hair tickled his nose, enjoying the familiar, but faint, scent of vanilla on her simple white dress._

_"Ace…where have you been? I thought I'd lost you," she murmured in disbelief, combing a hand through his soft hair covered in mud and blood, "As much as I'd like to spend more time with you, we have to think about escaping before we can breathe easy," she removed his short hands from her waist gently as she smiled softly down at her son. She had many questions she needed answers to but right now there were far more important things to focus on._

_"And what makes you think you'll escape?" A man spoke in a very familiar tongue._

_Rouge eyes swivelled upwards to look at the man; he appeared to be extremely muscular, wearing silver armor with a red rose etched and painted onto the breastplate._

_"A woman and her child," he observed in an oddly patronizing manner, as if he were talking to himself, "What makes you think I will allow you to escape? I'd get in serious shit from my commander if I let you two go."_

_Rouge slowly got up from her position on the floor and stood to face the creature with painfully distorted and misshapen features. Her face was set stone firm, betraying none of the fear she felt, "Who are you," she demanded in a dangerous tone, "You'd better tell me quickly, or else–" interrupting herself intentionally as a fiery lance began to form in her right hand, "I will end your life right here if you refuse to comply."_

_The thing let out an obnoxious laugh, but when he spoke once again his voice became cold, "Those are some scary words miss," he disappeared in a flash, reappearing in front of her in an instance, "What makes you think I'll let you win?"_

_She froze, every instinct in her body screaming for her to run away from the dangerous lizard man. The other was clearly older than her by at least forty years, she estimated; and, judging by the multitude of scars that marred his face, the mythical creature would win this fight because he had more experience than she did. Tightening her grip on the fiery lance, Rouge realized that she really had no other choice, "And what makes you think I can't defeat you?"_

_He took a step away from her, taken aback by the venom with the undercurrent of vindictiveness that she used when she spoke. He grinned, the woman had a lot of bite, but as he drew out his sword he wondered how long this determination was going to last her, "I like your spirit, miss. But let's see how long that spirit lasts when I crush you," he said, pointing his sharp cutlass sword at the woman's chest and exposing his sharpened teeth in a feral grin._

_Ignoring the threat, she charged forward, coaxing flames underneath her feet to increase her speed; she was determined to fire the lance at point-blank range. Her plan fell apart as the lizard man twisted his body to the side and grabbed her wrist in a bone-crushing grip, tossing her into the wall as if she weighed nothing, "You're going to have try harder than that if you want to kill me," he said, smiling, "If you don't show something impressive soon, then I'll kill your son over the– wait, where did the little brat go?"_

_She chucked, propping herself up on the wall and pushing off, landing in a crouch on the charred floor. Her blood ran cold when the lizard man appeared in front of her and lifted her by hair, ignoring her yelp of pain– it felt like her scalp was going to rip off at any second, "Don't make me repeat myself; where did your son go?"_

_Despite the pain, she found herself smiling weakly, "I told him to run away for his own safety."_

_"You should be more worried about what's going to happen to you," he retorted confidently, tightening his grip on her hair and trailing his blade firmly gripped in his other scaled hand across her cheek, drawing a small but steady stream of blood._

_Ace averted his eyes, unable to take anymore of what he was seeing. He knew he was supposed to run away, but watching his mother fight helplessly against the lizard-faced mythos rooted him to the spot. He closed his eyes and began to breathe in slowly, preparing himself for what he was about to do, 'I mustn't fear.' _

_Ace slid out from his hiding spot from behind the wall and stretched out his palms in front of his body, feeling the familiar warmth as his aura slowly began to buildup, finally letting loose as two separate flames that shot out from his hands, eventually merging into one as they cut across the ground as one destructive force. He smiled weakly as he dropped to the floor; the attack had worked, but it had cost him greatly in terms of energy, making him collapse to his knees._

_His smile faltered when he saw the man loosen his grip on his mother, allowing her drop to the floor in a heap as he pulled out another cutlass from it's sheathe and crossed them over his face, "Holy shit!" he yelled in surprise as the heat of the flames made his back burn white hot, the force leaving him no choice but to dig his talons deep into the ground, otherwise he'd be blown away._

_Taking the chance when he had his back turned, Rouge summoned another fire lance, only this time, the flames were a dark blue. The fire danced erratically around her grip, feeling it wane slightly in her power as she jumped to her feet and threw it. She drew back and looked off to where she saw the attack had come from, her face falling with concern when she saw it was none other than her son who'd protected her when she was supposed to be protecting him. The lizard's eyes narrowed as his hand gently swiped across where the lance had pierced him; that little witch had attacked him while he was distracted. He brought up the bloodstained appendage to study intently for a moment; blue-black blood trickled down his arm, reluctantly, he admitted to himself that the woman had good aim because he now only had two minutes to kill the both of them._

_Several meters in the distance, hidden by the shadows of the destroyed building, was a dragon who'd watched the fight unfold. He'd seen everything happen in front of his eyes while he waited for the right time to strike. His keen gaze spotted the lizard man reach for a snail-like object no bigger than the palm of his hand. The dragon listened carefully as he tried to catch every word the man spoke into the communication device, but his eyes widened in horror when he realized that he was calling for reinforcements._

* * *

**Comments are appreciated:)**


	5. If only it were that simple

If Only It Were That Simple

As Shanks wandered down the halls where not a single sign of life breathed energy into the atmosphere, his mind began to replay the events that happened no more than a few minutes ago, with which he held mixed feelings; on one hand, the more nostalgic side of him felt that it was great to see familiar faces he hadn't seen in what the dragon could only describe as far too long.

On the other hand, he was slightly taken aback by the some what new faces; having been away for a while Shanks had not been aware of the sudden power shift. Because he had only been in the room for no more than several hours, Shanks had little time to make a full assessment on whether they carried out their responsibilities with the same sagacity and accountability that was expected from any previous or current council member.

The young and soft-spoken sphinx who, although regarded everyone else with a nervous acknowledgement, showed great potential with the few carefully constructed neutral points she interjected.

Another unfamiliar face was the beautiful naga by the name of Boa Hancock, a name that he had vaguely recalled hearing from somewhere– there was a rumor about her as well, but it was currently buried deep within the chasms of his subconscious. Nevertheless, he could already tell that this naga was going to be handful in the very near future if her blatant disrespect and unhidden hostility towards some of the representatives was taken into account.

Nevertheless, in due time their true colors would begin to unfold in front of his eyes and for once, the dragon was determined to leave it to fate whether these two would prove their worth or not. He recalled how once not to long ago he'd been in a similar position, how he'd felt every prying eye scrutinize him with unabashed interest from the shadows as he confidently strolled down these halls, determined to prove that he had every right to be here while they watched and waited for him to stumble or make an error in judgment that could cost him greatly. It was funny how the Union over time had been diminished into nothing more than an over-glorified exclusive club that only a chosen few could be elected into. With it came the lavish lifestyle that could make any ruler gnash his teeth to dust, green with envy. Many had come and gone for one reason or another and much to his chagrin, none of them had assisted in forwarding the cause with their rudimentary suggestions.

Shanks wearily combed a hand through his short auburn locks, refusing to dwell deeper into the matter when he had so much to concern himself with right now already. He could only hope that fate (a very fickle mistress) decided to bestow upon them a harbinger of mercy and redemption. There was still so much that had to be done and so much that he desired to do.

About halfway to the corner that would lead him to the front entrance for the private living quarters, Shanks paused at a large window overlooking the gardens– below, something outside had captured his attention. He waved out of courteously at the servants outside when he caught a few bowing their heads down in respect, the edges of his lips curling up in what could be considered a rare genial smile. He continued his leisurely stroll when he could no longer spot the sudden flash of red light that he caught in the periphery of his sharp eyes; he'd never been one to dwell on trivial things.

Reaching the end of the path Shanks took a right turn, his mind already having shifted from the earlier meeting as he quietly debated on whether to go barge into the werewolf's quarters and spend the rest of his time there until they were called for the second half of the meeting. A rush of nostalgia overcame the dragon, out of all the places he'd been in and mythical creatures he'd met over the past couple of decades, he'd never felt more comfortable and at ease to be his natural self without much discrimination than with the stony faced werewolf. Or, he debated, the more risky alternative…sneak out of the building to go spend the rest of his afternoon in the open market area in the downtown area of Endet Isle under the blazing heat of the sun in search of a nice a dinky bar where he could drink to his heart's content until the hostility died down and he could make his exit. After all, there were many secret tunnels running throughout the compound that he chanced upon when he had the misfortune of getting lost in this peculiar fusion of magic and stone colossal structure not more than a few years ago.

Unfortunately, the problem with this would mean receiving reprimanding remarks for skipping out on his obligations all because he wasn't too keen on sitting still and patiently suffering silently in boredom as he counted down the seconds 'til the assembly either came to a close or dissonance erupted that made it tough to resolve the argument without calling for either a recess or request for another congregation.

If he was surprised to hear someone call out his aforementioned title from behind him as he placed his hand around the door handle, he didn't show it. The dragon whipped his head around, calm brown eyes sweeping across the near empty halls and coming to rest in the middle. His eyebrow rose quizzically at the sight of a young sprite, the telltale emblem woven into her simple yellow toga. Large almond shaped russet eyes gazed up at him with a childish awe and curiosity– she looked no older than ten years old. Short brown hair framed her round chubby face and her thin arms were crossed behind her back, "Are you the Dragon King of the East?" She inquired in a shaky voice.

Shanks nodded, "And who might you be?"

"Aisa, sir," she replied nervously while crossing her arm over her chest and bowing her head in a similar fashion to the servants that had greeted him earlier.

"Aisa," the dragon started as he folded his arms over his chest, "May I ask who sent you?" It was odd, he hadn't been expecting anyone, much less a young sprite, to look for him. Depending on whom had sent for him he might decline the invitation, he had already had so much on his plate that he could barely spare room for any other distractions.

Large brown eyes dropped to the floor as she began to rock slowly back and forth on the soles of her flat silvery shoes– a nervous tick Aisa had been unable to hide whenever she was in the presence of higher status than her; it didn't help that his immense aura flickered between hostility and soothing calm. Her head shot up in surprise when she felt a rough hand ruffle her brown hair.

"No need to be nervous, I won't bite," Shanks withdrew his hand when he no longer sensed that the young sprite was in any form of distress. Shanks was at a loss as to what the young female was distressed about– then again, he couldn't fault her for what were strict rules that were probably ground into her as soon as she could walk and talk properly; that the slightest of errors would entail a form of shame to the rest of the workers for having acted so 'audaciously' when it came to addressing your superiors. After another moment of silence, Shanks cleared his throat and then asked, "Who has sent you?"

The question seemed to have an almost magical effect on her as she broke away from her trance and explained how she was ordered to take him to the tearoom (did that place bring back some odd memories) that was located in the southern compound. At the current moment, they were both in northern compound; the whole area that the Union Hall covered impressed him, considering it housed, most likely, thousands of different mythical creatures that worked day in and out in maintaining this place as well as carrying out the occasional odd task here and there.

Shanks nodded, curious to know who had chosen such a place to meet considering that very few knew about it. What was even more intriguing about it was that you would have to have a thorough understanding of this century structure that over the years has shifted in appearance and grown in size. This brought him to the current matter at hand, dark brown eyes studied the carvings lining the damp, dimly lit tunnels as he walked several paces behind the young female, "So if you chose these tunnels then I can assume you know them very well," he spoke out, not in the slightest bit concerned at the possibility of getting lost as he could easily navigate them to the nearest hidden exit. Or– he glanced at a doorway bordered with rotting timbers– these tunnels hadn't changed since he last saw them.

Aisa paused, "It's a secret, and I'm not allowed to be in this part of the building. I don't know why, there's nothing scary about them and I really think they're fun."

Accepting the answer, they progressed onwards. A content silence settled between the two as they continued forward on the slippery concrete floors. Shanks froze when he felt the floor beneath him shake as a minor tremor occurred followed by an ear-piercing primal growl that echoed in the hollow tunnels, he was barely able to hear the screech of terror as the frightened little guide ran into him and wrapped her arms tightly around his leg. His gaze focused on the tiled floor as the tremors began to lessen._ 'I see they still have troubles with those creatures,' _he mused

A still somewhat shaken Aisa directed a stunned expression towards the floor as well. She'd heard about the Crawlers before– large, grotesque amorphous piles of pink flesh with small, hairy black legs that stuck out of their bodies which dragged its large blubbery mass underground. The beings were guided by two slits, which they could only assume were their noses, and hunger, leaving behind a suspicious silvery trail as they pushed themselves without any heed. Despite their size, they were generally docile creatures, something she found hard to believe having seen one by accident when she fell into a small sinkhole that appeared out of nowhere.

"You can let go now," Shanks comforted to the young sprite, "The Crawler has past us."

Realizing her position, she immediately jerked back, quietly scolding herself when she stumbled on a piece of rock. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, completely mortified as her earlier reactions replayed themselves in vivid detail in the back of her mind. Panic began to well up in her chest as she waited for the inevitable lecture for behaving so discourteously in front of the dragon, the heavy silence that weighed the air only added to the uncertainty of her future.

Before she could ask why he hadn't scolded her yet, the dragon gently removed her hands from his leg and began to walk forward as if nothing happened, "The sooner we get out of these tunnels the less likely it'll be that we have run into one of those things face-to-face," it wasn't the appearance that bothered him but rather the noise they made, which never failed to give him an annoying headache and hurt his ears. "We're already halfway there so we might as well continue."

Nodding dumbly, Aisa rushed forward on her short legs, determined not to be left behind in case one of those things let out another shriek that caused the tunnels to tremble again. The girl sent one fleeting glance to the dim tunnel as they reached a familiar round door that she knew led up to the higher grounds.

Upon reentering the familiar elaborately decorated halls, Shanks slowed down his pace as to allow the sprite to go in front of him so as to not arouse any suspicions if they came across another servant. They came to a complete stop and bowed low when they crossed a bridge where in front lay the familiar panelled door covered with neatly cut squares of magic infused, beige paper.

Bowing deeply once again, the sprite whose name currently escaped him bid him farewell and calmly strolled into the distance before taking a turn, completely disappearing from his sight. Shanks slid a panel of the wall open and entered into one of the oldest rooms in the area, coming only second in age to the hall itself. Stepping through the threshold, Shanks crossed the room as his scaled fingers lightly brushed across a faded thin scroll stuck to the wall by a single nail reading the familiar symbols of his native tongue.

Once he'd finished reading, Shanks walked the small remaining distance to the other panelled door and slid it open, taken aback by the sight in front of his eyes. Despite the amount of time that had passed, the garden bordered by a low white wall with red tiles showed no signs aging or abandonment.

Large trees with wide canopies dotted with pink blossoms grew in the garden that was surrounded with different rocks of varying size, all arranged neatly around a canal that snaked through the area– the clear blue water shimmering under the rays of the sun. Inhaling deeply, the dragon welcomed the sweet scent of the area. Nothing but a bottle of alcohol while sitting under one of the pale trees drinking until he passed out could've made this more perfect.

Reluctantly, he removed his boots and placed them on the bamboo mat that lined the inside of the small room to swap into a pair of sandals that he'd found neatly placed on the edge of the doorway. He walked quickly across the polished oak timbers and took a right where a small stone bridge had been constructed over a part of the canal.

Rayleigh took another long swig from his flask; the drink was bitter and sour, just how liked it. For some reason, he found the distance to get to the older parts of the Union Building worth it, especially here. Placing his flask back within the confines of his sleeve shirt, a familiar phrase popped into his mind, _'If you stare into abyss for long, do not be surprised if the abyss begins to drag you in.'_ or something along those lines; his mind had been too wrapped around other matters to pay much heed to the speaker. A single hummingbird circled around the small pond before coming to a halt on a small grey rock. Onyx taloned feet nimbly jumped forward before it tilted its feathered head downward into the water. Its orange beak creating small ripples on the surface of the pond before it flew off seconds later after having had its fill.

Spotting a familiar head of red hair on the other side of the bridge, Rayleigh beckoned Shanks over to join for a few drinks. As much he wanted to relax or possibly convince one of the servants to play a game of poker to earn a few beris, there was a time and place for that; today, he had other matters at hand. Maybe, he glanced at the small artificial waterfall structured above the pond his sharp hearing catching the sound of the running water, maybe he could do both…

Shanks watched curiously as his master stared off at the garden with a strange look as he folded his leg into the colorful futon opposite his own under the low ornate table where several bottles of alcohol with an empty cup were arranged neatly on a wooden tray.

The ruffle of material broke his frivolous thinking as Shanks shifted his legs into a kneeling position, interrupting Rayleigh's musings. He turned his head to regard the younger dragon, "I'll get to the point, I assume you are wondering why I requested that you be brought here."

His shoulders squared instinctively and his red scales became more prominent under his skin. Taking a bottle from the tray, he removed the cap and took a long gulp from it; he placed the flask in front of him and smiled crookedly, "It's impossible to hide anything from you isn't it?" Still, it bothered him as to why he was brought here as he turned to watch the pink petals as they fluttered in the wind. Finally, he tilted his head sideways to look at the older dragon, "Why is it you asked for me here?" He finally asked.

Finishing off the final contents of his flask, Rayleigh sighed and leaned forward on the table as he pleated his fingers on top of the surface, a small frown marring his face, "I can't risk letting anyone catch wind of what I am about to ask you."

"What do you mean?" Shanks asked, now greatly intrigued as to what the older dragon had to say.

"How did the campaign I sent you from Nobuura to Armije go?"

Shanks frowned, taking his time to drain the remaining contents of the flask; it had been a long and tiring ride when he took off from Endet Isle and flew due south. The worst part being when he had to fly through Magellan's Pass and came close to completely damaging the delicate membrane on his wings when strong winds buffeted him against the sharp jagged peaks of mountain and thick dark grey clouds obscured his vision– even an experienced wing-oriented mythical creature would say Magellan's pass was a dangerous place to fly through, if you didn't pay close attention you'd plummet to your death in a matter of seconds, "They refused to sign the agreement for an alliance unless a few conditions are met."

"What conditions are these, might I ask?" Rayleigh inquired.

Shanks reached into his cape and pulled out a scroll sealed with a red stamp and slid it across table to the elder dragon's hand.

Breaking the seal, he unfolded the paper and instantly recognized it as the handwriting of the Tyran leader. The letter read,

_To all members of Union Council, you must forgive me for impudence in sending one of your own with this letter after the journey he took to bring me the outlines for your ingenious plan to bring all nations together–_

Here it comes, he thought sourly as he continued reading further down the parchment.

_However, as you know for many centuries us griffons of Armije have had our territories trampled by other mythical creatures and only recently have we began to rebuild our nation to its former glory. Although, if you are still insistent in joining us in your noble quest in uniting all nations, we can assist each other in one form or another. I feel that we will require your presence so we can have further negotiations before we can come to an affirmative answer within a fortnight._

_If you agree to this term then forward a written agreement to my couriers Monet and Vergo. Unfortunately, I am unable, at the moment, to communicate with you directly, but once you have arrived at Dressrosa I shall meet you at the palace where a grand feast shall be prepared in celebration. I hope for a brighter future from which we can all benefit._

_With regards,_

He read the letter several times before folding it placing it back on the table. What was the need of requesting for another meeting? To finalize what exactly? And to communicate with couriers no less. Just what was so important that he could not communicate with him directly? What exactly was this ghoul after by requesting for him to be there. Reaching for the letter, he scanned the last paragraph and sighed, had it been anyone of lesser status he would've ignored their request in the most restrained manner told them what he thought of them and their request.

Folding the letter again, Rayleigh placed it onto the table and reached for another flask, draining the substance inside one hearty gulp and loving the tart taste that flooded his palette, "Was it the same request for the other nations as well?" He asked while reaching one of three final flasks left on the tray.

Shanks nodded ruefully, "Unfortunately, however," he paused, interrupting himself as he tapped the rim of the flask in his hand, "There was one ruler who had particular request whose territory was near Faara. Do you recall the town called Nobuura?"

The other's eyebrow rose in mild intrigue, "And what was this request?"

Brown eyes marvelled at the meticulously manicured garden of trees, flowers, and rocks strategically planted at certain parts to enhance its aesthetic appeal, only when he caught the older dragon looking at him waiting patiently did he reply, his voice dropping instinctively, "It was only when I was there did I receive the request."

Just thinking of that place brought up less than pleasant thoughts– from the eerie crystalline trees to the thick fog that clung to the air; the bone-chilling silence had been unsettling. He remembered flying across the dead town where malnourished creatures were dressed in nothing but torn and tattered clothes, their shrunken pale faces glowing unnaturally in the moonlight and their long frail arms dragging behind as they walked. The short flabby feet that stretched forward and pulled the creatures along could've been comical– he would've found it amusing at the strange way they hobbled on the muddy roads if it weren't for the large black eyes with golden pupils no larger than the tip of a quill pen that looked at you blankly, peeking from behind a curtain of slimy black hair.

"What was the request?"

Shanks gave Rayleigh a wary glance before he spoke in a grim voice, "They requested for a seat in the council."

If Rayleigh was surprised by the demand he didn't show it. He brought a new flask to his lips and drank from it, "Any reason why they made such a large demand?" He was glad that they were willing to actually communicate him, and to make such a large request was a bold but wise move. It would've been easy for him to turn that request down with a single letter and never have to deal with those ghouls again. However, in hindsight, if he did so the reputation of the Union would be tarnished and doubts amongst mythical creatures would begin to form on whether they were truly trying to unite all mythical creatures or whether it was a large scam to swindle precious funds and resources so they could continue to live an extravagant lifestyle. One comparison between the flamboyant Endet Isle and any other country on the outskirts would be like comparing a large mansion to a rotting wooden shed.

Plucking up a pink petal that had floated onto the rim of his flask, Rayleigh took another long drink, taking his time to weigh the options he had. When he finally came to conclusion, he placed the bottle down and looked to his student who he'd noticed had been tapping his index finger at the edge of the table in anticipation, "Have one of those courier in the union deliver my message that I might agree to their terms."

Shanks widened his eyes surprise, "You mean you're going to simply agree to their terms?"

Rayleigh chuckled lightly, clearly the younger dragon still had a lot to learn, even if he was skilled in some areas, "If there was any other way I would've chosen that alternative," golden eyes dropped to the center of the table where a mark had been carved into the wood. Having already emptied his second-to-last flask, Rayleigh put the container down, "I'm sure they'll be willing to listen to me," he added confidently. He watched the younger dragon tentatively for any sign of protest against his intended course of action, but all he did was nod grimly, a sign that he understood there was no other option.

A peaceful silence settled between the two dragons but it was soon broken when Rayleigh caught the sound of a panelled door behind them being slid open. Surprised, he turned his head to see a short, squat old troll dressed in nothing but a thong bowing towards them, "Apologies if I have interrupted, Storm Bringer of the South and Dragon King of the East."

Rayleigh shook his head, raising his hand as a sign that the hobgoblin could rise, "There is no need to worry. Now, what is it that you require? Say it with haste, I was in the middle of discussing some rather delicate matters."

Beady brown eyes shifted between both dragons, "I was told to inform you that Shakky has requested for your presence at her room immediately."

"Tell her I shall be their in half an hour."

The servant shook his head, "I'm afraid that she was very insistent that you go visit her right this instant."

Rayleigh laughed; clearly the demoness wasn't giving him any other choice, "Tell her I shall be there within the next ten minutes," he directed an apologetic grin towards his former pupil, "Maybe we can continue when time allows," he said, standing up from his comfortable position opposite the dragon.

Shanks nodded, "I see the demon still has you wrapped around her taloned finger doesn't she? Despite all the time that has passed," Shanks chuckled, wiggling his eyebrow suggestively.

Rayleigh chuckled, already having stood up from his position, "Aah, but you've never spent an afternoon with her," his expression grew distant as he didn't hear the last comment Shanks made nor the shifting of material as the dragon stood up and, armed with the last flask of alcohol left on the table, began to walk down the veranda.

Seeing there was nothing more to do there, Rayleigh left the veranda and began to make his way back to the living quarters. The grey-skinned servant walked a few paces in front of him, excusing himself immediately when they reached the door to her quarters. It was hard not deny that Shakky was one of the most stunning and dangerous creatures he had ever laid eyes on. He was unable to control himself when he entered the elaborately decorated bedroom, he hugged her tightly and began to kiss her passionately. She growled in mild impatience as he untied the straps on her Cincher corset, Shakky doing likewise with the buttons on his shirt. He shivered in delight when her taloned fingers slid across his exposed abdomen.

A victorious smirk graced his lips when the corset dropped to the floor; for a second, he allowed his eyes to drop and take in her perfectly rounded bosom, she was flawless as ever. Draping an arm under her legs and the other around her neck Raleigh effortlessly hoisted her up and made his way towards the bed.

"As forward always," Shakky teased suggestively, twirling a strand of his silver hair with her long black fingernail. The woman's burgundy eyes took in the many scars that covered his chest, something she'd always thought added to his sensuality. Shakky gently draped her arms around Rayleigh's neck from her position on the bed, pulling herself closer to the dragon as she affectionately began to nibble at his neck and moved slowly upwards until she reached his ear lobe, her heart pounding in renewed excitement all the while; in all her years as a mistress, she'd never had a partner like him before. Apart from being well gifted, he also hadn't fallen for her charm so easily. He had been a challenge and that's what she enjoyed.

Her affectionate nips aroused a primal desire within the dragon as he brought her closer, allowing his arms to roam across her smooth skin.

Deft fingers slipped inside the hem of his crisp grey dress pants and tore them off quickly; Shakky giggled in amusement at the straining fabric she saw. Her hand traced lightly around his bulge, causing the dragon to arch his back slightly as pleasurable shivers coursed throughout his body. Deciding to save the best thing for last, she started kissing his chest, moving upwards until her lips finally came to rest on his. The bitter taste of sake danced on her tongue when it invaded into the other's mouth. Satisfied, the demoness pulled away from Rayleigh's lips and propped herself upwards, exposing her bare chest. A teasing smile tugged at the edges of her lips as she looked down at the dragon who was looking up at her, making golden eyes meet burgundy.

Encouraged, Shakky bent down and allowed her lips to hover over his erection for a second before she began to suck him through the cloth. He bit his bottom lip to prevent the moan of pleasure that welled up in his throat from escaping. Shakky chuckled in amusement, "Does this displease you?" The demoness tried not to laugh at the dragon's strained expression she saw from her position. After a few minutes of continuing her ministrations, she tilted her head upwards, taking in the sight in front of her; the telltale signs of what she knew well were represented as silver feathery scales had now covered his arm.

When he finally recovered from the pleasure he spoke to her in a different dialect, "Is there a reason you brought me here?"

Shakky chuckled, dropping herself beside him and pressing her chest against his arm, "Can't we enjoy this moment rather than talk about anything formal?" She questioned, pressing her chest against his forearm while draping a leg over his thigh.

With his free hand, Rayleigh caressed her chin, kissing her lightly on the lips, "I suppose just this once."

She smiled genially at how easy it was to trick the dragon into doing her whim as she sidled herself closer and leaned her head against the crook of his. In truth, ever since she'd entered this building she couldn't be bothered in the slightest by the current discussion, only wishing to do one thing, "How long has it been…" she wandered aloud.

"What do you mean?" The dragon inquired, running a hand across her milky white skin.

"Since we last had time to ourselves."

"I thought demons were fickle about who moved from one partner to another when they grew bored,"

Shakky giggled softly, moving closer to the half-naked dragon, "That's because none of them are entertaining enough or last long."

"And you wonder why so many negative rumors are spread," What was it they said? _'They lure you with the sweet words that the heart desires into a darkness from which you can never recover'? 'They promised all the riches of heaven only to drag you into the pits of hell'?_ He shook his head and propped himself on his elbows, looking the demoness directly in the eye, "What was it you asked me here for, Shakky?"

The two had been friends for quite some time, so naturally, they knew each other very well. Whatever Shakky had needed him for must've been important if she requested for his presence knowing full well that he other things to attend to.

Rayleigh watched as her mood shifted from her earlier playful manner to a much more serious demeanor very quickly. She removed her hands from his chest and stood up from the bed, "Are you familiar with Nesra," She stated more than asked, walking towards the door, pausing to pick up her corset that had fallen in their moment of passion.

Rayleigh propped himself on his elbows, his eyebrow rose in piqued interest, "Yes, I am familiar with the area that borders Faara. Why do you bring it up now?"

"I received a message from one of the couriers three days ago," she said, reaching for an envelope on top of a small table opposite the narrow door leading to her dining quarters before returning to the bed, "There's been a rumor that one of them picked up that _he_ has escaped from Nihil."

Rayleigh frowned, "The chances of escaping Nihil are practically impossible," he glanced at Shakky's face to see whether or not what she spoke was the truth, his mouth curving downwards when he confirmed that in fact she wasn't lying to him, "Even if he were to escape there are still those spectres that roam Faara forest."

"That's what I thought as well…so what are you going to do?" She inquired.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to go confirm the truth for myself since I have to be elsewhere," he paused, trying to think of a solution, "However, I will send a servant to warn mythical creatures over there to be on high alert and report any suspicious activities."

"And what if the thing that escaped was him?"

A shadow crossed over his face, "We can only hope it hasn't," he grabbed his shirt off the bed and walked towards the door, "Otherwise, we'll all be doomed."

Wrapping her arm around his wrist, Shakky pulled him into an embrace and lightly pecked his cheek, "Just promise me you won't try anything too reckless, I don't want my bed to end up feeling empty."

Rayleigh smiled at Shakky to calm her unease, "I can't make any promises that I won't."

Shakky pouted, "Then promise me you will call for me if things begin get serious. I won't forgive if you steal all the fun for yourself," she smirked, her eyes turning a light shade of fuchsia as her pupils narrowed into slits.

Rayleigh leaned forward and, in a low voice, promised the demoness that he'd call for her assistance if things spiralled out of control.

_A few hours earlier_

The moonlight pierced through the large trees and bright stars littered the sky. An unnatural stillness hung in the air, interrupted when a low hungry growl echoed through the nighttime sky followed by the crashing of tree branches as monstrous appendages cut across the sky. Another yell rang through the air– only this time, he could tell it was nearer to where he stood.

He spared a glance at the dense growth in front of him, only able to make mere outlines in the poor lighting. Out of the corner of eye, he saw a grotesque creature whose upper half was that of mutilated horse's head and whose lower half was a hairy spider charging at frightening speed towards where he was currently crouching.

He quickly threw himself to the side and just barely escaped a yellow translucent slime that seemed to glow in the nighttime sky that flew through the air and hit a tree where his head had been seconds ago, hearing the hiss as the branches dissolved. It let out an annoyed shriek, angry that it missed its target and prey.

He barely had time to recover as the creature spat out another shot of it's deadly yellow substance, missing his head by a hair's breath. He watched as the liquid dissolved the bark of another tree next to him until it was no longer able to hold it's own weight and fell forward with a rustle of leaves on top of the creature, crushing it completely.

_'What an incompetent creature,'_ he thought to himself as he scrambled over the fallen tree and continued to run forward, determined now more than ever to escape this living hell hole. Seconds later, something wrapped around his leg and he paused to look back, but found nothing there. Thinking it was just his imagination, he continued to walk forward, only for the thing to pull much harder, causing him to lose balance and fall hard onto the muddy forest floor.

Struggling, he desperately felt around until he managed to wrap his hand around a sharp rock; he stabbed it hard into the cold slimy appendage that'd attached itself to him, black blood spurting out like a fountain onto his clothes and his face.

Cursing heatedly, he stood up, wiping his hand across his face as he continued to walk forward, pausing when he reached the corpse of the dead creature that had been crushed earlier. He studied it curiously before effortlessly climbing up the trunk of the tree and leaping onto the other side, continuing to jog through the forest. Every now and then, he would climb up a tree to see which his direction he was heading, cussing lightly in disappointment because everything looked exactly the same.

He leapt from his perch onto the forest floor, wishing at this moment he could transform into his glorious dragon form rather than stay in this accursed human body that hardly had any power; his anger raised even further by the fact that he couldn't tap into his dragon aura to heal all the scratches and burns he had accumulated while running through this forest.

The darkness provided him with little visibility– escaping Nihil was going to be harder than he had originally anticipated. A faint rumble in the distance interrupted his musings as the ground beneath his feet began to shake from the force of footsteps. His heart skipped a beat when the creature let out an ear piercing, blood-curdling scream and he froze when he saw the giveaway antler horns towering over the trees as the air was filled with the scent of decaying flesh. The thing had found him.

Turning on his heel, he sprinted as fast as he could, swerving between trees in an attempt to confuse the Wendigo. His heart raced a mile minute when he heard the creature drawing closer and closer until finally, a clenched fist swept across the air and sent him crashing through several trees before his momentum was broken by a large boulder. Groaning, he stumbled onto his feet, dazed by the blow as pain clouded his mind.

Red eyes gleaming with hunger, the thin flaps of skin that protected its nostrils flapped outwards as it searched for the scent of its prey, stomping across the forest floor until it reached where the scent was strongest. Everything seemed fuzzy and slow as he tried to stumble forward, unaware that the creature was in front of him until boney fingers wrapped around his torso and raised him into the air. He was able to get a closer look at the Wendigo's misshapen narrow face as it opened it's tattered lips, exposing long yellow sharpened teeth and a blackened tongue.

He closed his eyes as he waited for his inevitable death as the creature opened its mouth, ready to devour him. Only nothing happened.

"Oooooh, I never expected you to give up this quickly."

He cracked open his eyes and looked down, "What are you doing here and how are you able to stay in your elf form when this place robs you of your power?"

The elf shrugged his shoulders, drawing a silver arrow from his quiver, he muttered a quick spell and shot it from his bow. They watched as it arched in the air and slice through the Wendigo's arm, the sudden action barely giving him time to react as he landed with a thump onto the forest floor. Not expecting to have its arm sliced off, the Wendigo roared in anger and punched its other fist in the direction where it caught the scent of the perpetrator.

"We should run before we die," he called out to the elf above the savage growls of the Wendigo; he had several questions he wanted to ask the other but that could wait until they got out of the dangerous forest. All they could do for now was focus on escaping. They began feeling the strains of running for a long time when they started to run up a hill. Pausing at the top to allow him to recover his breath, the elf overlooked the landscape below.

"We'll be safe here for now," he commented as he crouched down on the floor, "But we must keep moving, otherwise it won't be long before it'll be able to catch our scent."

The dragon shook his head, "Let's move forward. I want leave this accursed place as soon as possible, the sooner we leave the better."

The elf gave the man an astonished look even though he knew the other couldn't see it in the darkness; finally he picked up his bow and stood, "If that is what you wish."

It was no sooner than seconds after the answer was out of his mouth when a loud crack was heard as a tree fell not too far from where they stood, alerting them of another presence from behind, "We have to move now!" The dragon ordered firmly as he hastily stood on his feet and began to run in the opposite direction of the sound, the elf not too far behind him. Leaping over roots that jutted out of the forest floor, thorns tore at his already tattered cloak that he'd stolen from a guard after killing him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the elf freeze by his side, "Don't move," he whispered hastily.

"And why is that?" He snapped impatiently.

Raising his finger, the elf pointed with his index at the dense undergrowth in front of him, "There's something in there."

"What do you mean?" Having not heard or seen anything, he continued to walk forward while staring at the place the elf had pointed his finger. An unnatural stillness hung in the air, then suddenly, a high-pitched shriek came from the undergrowth. He tensed, whatever it was, it wasn't afraid of them.

"We'd better move before it comes out of its place," the elf warned, reaching for an arrow just in case the creature came out. _'We must have intruded on its territory,'_ he thought, creeping slowly and cautiously, taking extra care not to step on fallen twigs. His eyes were firmly fixated on the bushes as he quickly began to think of a plan of escape.

Behind him, the powerless dragon was also mimicking the elf's action, cursing lightly to himself as he didn't have a weapon of his own to defend himself. Hours had passed with no sound coming from the mysterious creature while they hiked on. He leaned heavily against the trunk of one of the massive trees at the bottom of the hill they'd trekked down, his clothes were now mere rags as small cuts and bruises lined his body while his short black hair was slick with sweat. He exhaled noisily, assuming they had beaten the worst of what the forest had to throw at them.

As if reading his mind, the elf said, "I wouldn't relax until we're actually out of this place," his cat-like eyes looked up to the sky as the first signs of dawn began to melt in hues of pink and orange, "We still have to climb another hill before we can reach the outskirts of Nesra," he mumbled while his slender index and middle fingers twirled a single arrow.

The dragon grunted, shifting his body into a more comfortable position, "I was afraid you might say that," he grumbled. Picking up a stone, he tossed it into a small stream in front of him, hearing the soft splash and as he watched the rock create ripples in the water, he noticed there was something that still bothered him, "How did you know where to find me and how come you're able to use aura?"

Placing the arrow back in a case strapped to his back, the elf laughed pleasantly, "I think you've been locked in that prison for far too long," he remarked.

"And why do you say that?" He shot back suspiciously.

"Well for starters, we don't refer to the inner power as aura anymore; a good majority of creatures refer to it as magic, and–" he touched the bark of the tree, "I'm the only who's been able to venture through this forest and not die."

"You still haven't answered my question," he growled out as he stood up, marching towards the elf who had been leaning against a tree, he grabbed the a fistful of his dark blue robe in his hold, "How are you able to use magic in this place so easily when it has that weird shit that prevents you from doing so?" He demanded as he tried to appear as intimidating as possible.

The elf's smile shifted into something more manic, not even the slightest intimidated by the powerless dragon who he could easily kill with a low level spell without much effort on his part, "_That_ I cannot answer," he raised a finger to his lips, "It's a secret I promised to keep."

Grunting, the dragon released his hold on the elf, but not before slamming him hard against the tree– he might not be in his dragon form, but that didn't mean he wasn't strong, "Then we should get going," he said, his back to the elf as he faced the east, watching with a strange expression as the sun began to peak from the horizon. A small sinister smile stretching across his face; finally, after spending decades in that dark and damp cell, powerless and pathetic, he'd finally be able to taste freedom once again. They then began their descent down the hill and back into the forest.

Time seemed to pass with little meaning or surprise attacks as they walked at a quick pace in the forest, his hand wrapped firmly around a coppery dagger the elf had graciously given him to defend himself with. Without his dragon aura he wouldn't be able shift into his true form or use his senses to detect the minor movement, as long as he remained like this, though he hated to admit it, he was absolutely useless.

They stopped when they reached the edge of a cliff, gazing down at the landscape below where in the distance he could make out the roofs of houses and taverns. _'It all seems so close,'_ he thought, the sun shining beautifully as a light breeze brushed against his heavily scarred face.

"This will be the most dangerous part," the elf warned, "The monsters down there are quicker and far more intelligent, so we will have to move much more cautiously."

"How do you propose we get down?" He asked, gesturing at the forest below, he estimated the drop to be at least a hundred meters.

The elf grinned excitedly– he'd been expecting that question, "We jump," having done this countless times without getting an injury before, he didn't see the drop as anything too challenging in comparison to fighting one of those monsters in the forest.

The dragon clenched his fist, giving one final glance at the drop and without thinking of it any further, he leapt off the edge, surprised when he landed on something soft. He quickly got up and watched as the elf leapt off the cliff's edge and landed on his knees in the same spot.

"Now if I remember correctly…" the elf started, tapping his finger against his chin in contemplation, "We're supposed to head north from here for several kilometers and then we will be on the outskirts of Nesra," he murmured to himself.

"Then let's proceed."

The elf gave a bark of laughter, "It won't be that easy," he spoke condescendingly.

Their shoes crunched against the leaves that littered the forest's floor as they trudged past the beautiful greenery. The trill of birds singing filled the air, the small animals occasionally swooping down from the large trees and scooping fish from the narrow stream located to the right of him. An orb of blue light in the distance caught his interest; he raised one long arm as his feet began to drag him towards the light, a faint, almost hypnotic calliope began to play in the back of is mind– it sounded so beautiful. A hard slap across his face snapped him out of the trance and he could no longer hear the melody as he slowly came back to reality.

"Why did you just hit me?" He growled, rubbing his rapidly reddening cheek. His patience with this elf was beginning to run thin with his eccentricities.

The elf sighed warily, "I should've warned you about those. Did you hear a calming music in the back of your mind?" He inquired.

The dragon scratched the stubble on his chin as he closed his eyes in contemplation, snapping them open seconds later, "It was strange, but I could hear a faint tune."

A shadow crossed over the elf's face as he reached into the sleeves of his pocket and pulled out a small orange sphere no bigger than his fist, "Eat this, it will protect you from hearing the music tone."

He glanced at the pill, "Just what would happen if I allowed myself to be taken in by the music?"

"They would've killed you," he replied simply, "After they feasted on your thoughts and emotions, that is. Don't be fooled by the innocent-looking ball of light."

Nodding, the dragon swallowed the sphere, finding the calliope had begun to fade from the back of his mind after he did so, "How are you so knowledgeable about this forest?"

The elf tightened his grip on his bow and cursed venomously, uncomfortable with the persistency of the dragon, "I cannot say."

Much to his surprise, the dragon accepted the answer and they continued forward in a peaceful silence until several hours later, when they reached the edge of the forest– wondering briefly why they hadn't encountered any creatures.

Unexpectedly, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as his body began to quake– something had been watching them. A rustle confirmed them of their suspicions and in seconds the elf had notched a silver arrow where he had heard the movement in the bushes.

"I believe your arrows will be ineffective," the powerless dragon commented.

"How so?" The other asked, mildly offended.

There was a screech before a long slender body began to slither out of the bush, rising further into the air until it's body reached half the length of a tree. Its frame was covered in obsidian scales and its large orange eyes stared down hungrily from its elongated head. The creature's silver fanned hood shone brilliantly in the sunset as it opened its maw, revealing a sea of sharpened teeth. In a burst of incredible speed, the creature shot forward and wrapped its body around the weaker being– it'd devour the elf later.

The dragon groaned in pain as the snake began to tighten its body around him, breathing becoming far more difficult as the seconds ticked by. With what little strength he had left, he wriggled out of the thing's grasp until his arm was free and wrapped his fingers around the metal collar on his neck, tugged hard on it; unsurprisingly, nothing happened. He grunted in pain and frustration when the snake tightened his hold even further. He pulled on the metal even harder than before, smirking in victory when the magic infused metal collar snapped. Suddenly, black energy started to pour out of his arms and with the renewed strength, he untangled the creature from his body and fired a black ball of magic from his hand that completely disintegrated its head.

The elf whistled in appreciation, "Now that's scary, those things are practically immune to magic."

The dragon snorted, flexing his now taloned arm as his black tail swept across the floor, "I must still be rusty."

The elf quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, "How so?"

"I was aiming to disintegrate its entire body, not just its head," he deadpanned.

"That's quite a scary thought, you know."

The dragon gave the elf a serpentine grin while he cracked his talons in satisfaction, "Shame we have to keep moving now, but first–" he interrupted himself as he looked down at their torn and muddied clothing, "We have to find new clothes so as not to arouse any suspicion."

"I agree," he nodded. Raising his arm, the elf pulled back his hood, revealing a masculine face with an aquiline nose and dark green eyes, his face painted completely white with red markings running horizontally down his cheekbones. He crossed one arm over his chest and got down on his knee, "Welcome back, Dragon King of South, Kaidou."

The idea that he had just helped the Dragon King of the South escape Nihil and survive the Nesra forest filled him with excitement; his name would go down in history as not only being one of the few people who've ventured into Nihil and survived (albeit he got some cuts and bruises and his clothes were torn, but it was a small price to pay), but also as the aid to the famous dragon.

Kaidou gave a grunt in acknowledgement as a twisted smile stretched across his face; now that he was free from that accursed hell hole it felt strangely surreal, especially since he could feel his dragon aura slowly course through his body, healing all the minor cuts and bruises that he had accumulated.

Ah, yes, it felt good to be back, "Rise, we have much to do if we are going to get things completed before the winter solstice." so good that he might pay him a visit.


End file.
